Chapter 1

Excitement filled me as I ran into my, well our apartment, Ryan and i since he basically lives here now, with the contract that I’ve been working for in my hand. My little business idea has been contracted by a firm, and I planned to use the money to do something for our future together.

Ryan and I have been together since our freshman year, and ever since I lost my grandmother, he became my only family. I loved him, and despite the fact that we were young, I knew he was going to marry me.

He always told me how many women wanted him and how none of them could come between us, and urged me to get a job while he focused on his band. I was proud of him and I couldn’t wait to see how excited he would be when I told him we were starting a family.

Loud music boomed in the apartment, Ryan nowhere to be found, but signs that he has been smoking and drinking turned my blood cold, but I brushed the feeling of with a smile. Today was a happy day and he promised not to hit me again like last night.

And other nights too.

“Ryan?” I called out as I climbed up the stairs. It was too early for him to be knocked out now isn’t it? And he was still in, the door was opened when I came in.

But i got to the last step, I heard a sound that felt like a slap to the gut.

“Oh Ryan! Harder baby! Harder!”

The familiar voice reached my ears, followed by grunts and clapping , turning my legs turned to steel, unable to move.

But I dragged myself, not wanting to believe it. He loved me. He would never cheat…

The sob I was holding echoed through the hall as I saw them. Ryan, balls deep into the woman he called his cousin, someone I treated like a sister, Katie.

He was ferociously riding her, unaware that I stood at the door way broken as my whole world fell apart as he cheated on me on my grandmother’s former bed.

Katie glanced towards me as my sob alerted her, before smirking, and increasing her moans.

“Oh fuck baby. Looks like the whore found out our little secret.”

Ryan didn’t stop as he turned to look at me, and a lazy smirk widened his lips. “Enjoying the show?”

He wasn’t even remorse. A heart wrenching sob left my lips. “Why would you do this, Ryan? Do I deserve to be treated this way?” I asked, desperately wanting to know what I did to deserve this. I worked three jobs to take care of us while all he did was spend money on alcohol. I let him live in my home when he lost his properties to gambling and this was how I got repayed?

“I loved you!” I screamed, but his groan as he came into Katie drowned my cries.

“Oh Em.” He grinned as he wore his pants, his eyes emotionless, not at all recognizable. Not the man I loved for years of my life.

He stalked towards me, “You should know i don’t just fuck one bitch. Get over it sweetheart.” He pushed past me, picking a half finished bottle of alcohol from the floor and drowning it in one go.

“Go get me and some more vodka. I’m done with this one. And dinner. I sure wore Katie out this time.” He winked at Katie and she giggled.

Katie wore her clothes, while I stood there shell shocked. He can’t just do this to me and go.

“No I wouldn’t.” I muttered, and Ryan paused in his steps. A cold sweat broke on my forehead, but I have let him take advantage of me for too long. I always cleaned up his messes, dealt with his abuse, and he couldn’t even be loyal to me. He used me. I hate him so much and now I can’t let him go.

“What did you say, ‘Em?” His voice dropped threateningly, but I dug my nails into my palm. I wouldn’t let him intimidate me.

I turned to him. “I said no, Ryan. I will not get Vodka, and I will not make dinner for Katie. We are done, Ryan.”

I always saw it, signs before he hit me but he was so fast and strong.

He stormed towards me, and growled lowly. “Don’t let me hurt you, Emma. Do as I say or else.”

Katie came to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, “leave her baby. We don’t need her anymore. I’ll get jobs to sustain us. Tell her to get out.”

A scoff left my lips. “I’m not getting out, it’s my house. So you get out, take your things out and we would see how you will survive without me.”

Like I said. He was fast, so his punch came faster than I anticipated.

A cry left my lips as I fell onto the floor, my eye throbbing. He gripped me by my neck, pulling up and squeezing tightly, his eyes dark with hatred.

“You don’t talk back at me Emma!” He screamed in my face, slamming me into the wall. Katie let out a laugh as I cried out from the pain.

Ryan sneered in my face as I cried. “You will get out, and if you return to this place, I’ll kill you.”

Despite the tears, I laughed. “I don’t need to come back. Very soon, you will be begging me to take you back.” I spat in his face.

That made him livid, and he wanted to punch me again, and I used my hands to guide my face, forgetting I had my contract with me.

Ryan snatched the paper out of my hand, and he grinned. “What’s this?” He read the paper and his smile widened.

He wouldn’t steal from me, would he?

“Give me back my contract!” I screamed at him as i clawed his hand, and he laughed at Katie.

“Baby we are rich!” He laughed loudly as I clawed at him.

Katie’s eyes widened as she read the paper. “This is a lot of money!”

Ryan turned back to me, and this time his eyes were completely devoid of emotion. “How dare you hide this from me?” He punched me in the face, causing blood to fill my mouth.

“Ryan please.” I cried, but he continued to punch me.

“You have this much money and you watched me suffer?” He hit me again, and slammed me into the wall.

“Ryan let’s go cash out this money! We could get a house!” Katie screamed as Ryan beat me up.

He lifted me by my throat and smirked. “I’ll make you regret this.” And he slammed me on the floor, my head hitting the edge of the wall, and blood seeping out of my head as I died slowly.

“Fuck!” Ryan yelled as I bled, and Katie screamed.

“Ryan you killed her! We are going to end up in jail!”

Ryan ran into the kitchen. “We aren’t going to jail baby. No one would know it was us.”

He brought out a jerrycan and poured it all around the house. “They would just think it’s a house fire. Don’t worry Katie.” He reassured her as he poured it on me, and a smirk widened his lips as he lit a match.

“See you in hell, stupid bitch.”

And he dropped the match, lighting me and my grandmother’s house on fire, before running out of the house.

I cried as the fire enveloped the house, unable to move out as blood soaked the rug from my head. I felt blood trickle down my legs, and I knew my baby was gone.

I cried as the fire licked my skin, burning harshly as the smokes filled my lungs. I was dying. And as I felt the life leave my body, I cursed Ryan.

And the last thing I saw as the burning became too much to bear were leather shoes.