She inhaled deeply, as if she had suddenly surfaced from the depths of the ocean.She gasps for breath, her hand pressed against her chest as she tries to calm herself down. My gaze lowers as I take in the sight of her damp clothing tightly enveloping the curves of her body. I feel my throat become dry at this momentary glimpse of her beauty, and before I know it my heart is pounding in my chest. The soft fabric catches the light of lamp posts outside, briefly illuminating slight droplets of condensation that cling to its edges.“W-who are you?”Before I could even utter a word, she abruptly moved away and curled up into a ball, her knees tucked tightly against her chest. She looked terrified, so defenseless and delicate in that moment. The expression on her face was heartbreaking; it almost felt like she had been pushed to the brink of utter exhaustion and despair. I wanted to reach out to her, but all I could do was stand there helplessly as she began to cry. Tears streamed down her
I am carrying a plate in my hands as I make my way towards the room where the woman is staying, and my eyes focus on it thoughtfully.I don't yet know her name, but I plan to ask her after I give her the meal I've prepared. She's been through a lot, and food can be a great way of showing compassion and offering comfort in times of distress. This is my small gesture of kindness for someone who needs it right now, and as soon as she's finished eating we'll get into more meaningful conversations.I knock on the door first, a respectably polite gesture which signals my intent to enter. Suddenly, a wave of self-reproach washes over me. I realize that I'm willing to go above and beyond for this woman in ways I never did for the other women I've been intimate with in the past. This is something entirely different for me - it's not something I'm accustomed to, or ever expected from myself.She's been through a lot in her lifetime and has come out stronger on the other side. Even though I know
“Louisa Wilson, a twenty two year old woman. The documents I have gathered reveal that she was allegedly raped by Daniel Sawyer, a twenty eight year old man who is already married to another woman named Rebecca. It appears as though Louisa had developed feelings for Daniel, but he ultimately abandoned her instead of honoring them. This treatment has caused her great emotional distress and has shaken the foundation of her trust in men. She feels betrayed and used by the very person she thought would be honorable enough to reciprocate.”Joseph placed the stack of files on my desk with a thud, and then sunk into the chair that was positioned directly across from me. I picked up one sheet of paper and scanned it quickly for any pertinent facts about this woman. I read her name, age, occupation - it wasn't anything out of the ordinary - but what caught my eye was her story.“Despite all of the research conducted, the precise disorder Louise is facing remains a mystery. This is why she find
I was absolutely livid when I returned home from my encounter with Leilani's mother.I couldn't believe that someone could think so little of their own daughter! It made me so angry, and all my emotions were boiling over. When we spoke, her words were like daggers to the heart; how could she be so dismissive and belittle her daughter in such a way?I'm glad that I was able to regain control of my emotions and keep myself from blurting out words that would have been completely unexpected. At the time, I wasn't aware what exactly I had said, but it was clear that it had caused a big impact on the on her.Marriage is a big concept for me. It's not something I've ever really thought about before, given my light-hearted approach to relationships. People are quick to cast judgement on me because of my attitude; they assume that I'm just a casual playboy who doesn't care about the feelings of others. But that's not true at all - while it may seem like I'm doing what I want and living life by
As each day,weeks, and months passes since Leilani ran away from her mother, she is finding more and more comfort in her new life. She is beginning to look to me for reassurance and care.“A-aiden…I’m not sure about this-”“Shhh…”I can feel the fear in her. She finds it difficult to truly believe that all of this is actually going to work out for her in the end, but she deserves every chance fate has given her. It's been a long journey for her and now that she finally has a real shot at making something out of it, she can't help but be hesitant and skeptical.I carefully lowered myself onto one knee in front of her while tightly clutching the ring, my hands trembling from anticipation. The fact that she has a notion of what this gesture implies brings a wave of relief to me; after all, she grew up being isolated almost about everything. She knows full well the weight and significance of this moment; although we haven't discussed it explicitly, it's obvious that our relationship has
With eyes wide open I marched my way towards her, unable to look away. All the people around us started to disappear as the only thing that mattered to me was Leilani’s mother. “Don’t come closer!” she shouted. “Aiden! Don’t you dare think about doing something dude!” I could hear my friends protesting, clearly aware that when I am in this state of determination nothing can stand in my way. Even from the corner of my eye I could see they were preparing to intervene and halt my progress. Everyone was in disarray, a state of complete pandemonium. The wedding was thrown into utter chaos and it only took one woman to cause this monumental disaster. “I’m going to kill you!” She raised her gun towards me in an aggressive manner, but I was faster. Before she could get the chance to fire a single shot, I quickly kicked her hand harshly, causing the weapon to fly away from her grip. My mind raced with years of self-defense class training and combat preparation as I made my move. Louisa l
“Get up!”A cold tide of water suddenly rushed over me, drenching my skin and clothes. I was taken aback, whipping my head around to find the source of the strange shower. There was mother standing close by with a plastic bucket still in her hands, evidently what had contained the cascade moments before. She was quite calm and composed while I on the other hand stared in shock at her daring deed in confusion.“M-mother…”My head suddenly began to throb and I moved my hand up to massage my forehead, casting a look towards my mother before a vision of Aiden suddenly appeared in my mind. It was as if he were right in front of me, but I knew that was impossible. He wasn't here. But the intense weight of his presence made it hard for me to deny what seemed like an undeniable truth in the moment - despite his physical absence, he was still very much alive in my thoughts and memories.“I-i remember everything…” I suddenly blurted out of nowhere.Mother didn’t say a word. Instead, she threw t
My heart pounded in my chest as I was forcefully pulled away from Aiden, his anguished cries for help ringing in my ears over the thundering of the sirens growing silent. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the dirt and grime that had accumulated on my cheeks.Exhaustion had become my new companion. My body felt drained and beaten, aching from the never-ending mistreatment it had endured at the hands of my mother. The physical pain paled in comparison to what I was feeling emotionally after miscarrying our baby, but her blows of violence were enough to break down even more of my defenses. The experience seemed like an eternity that I was unable to escape from, feeling completely helpless.It was as if I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders, a burden I could no longer bear.I stumbled, struggling to keep up with my mother as she dragged me away from our house. Her grip on my arm was strong and almost punishing, her nails digging into my skin and leaving behind angry r