So many thoughts were running through the mind of Tanya Lopez while she prepared herself to walk down the aisle. She was among her best friend, Melissa Simpson along with a few others.
"This is it." Melissa whispered to Tanya as she helped her fix her veil.
'Am I doing the right thing? What if he does the same thing Justin did to me? Maybe I shouldn't get married.' Tanya began to have second thoughts about marrying AJ.
She had been in an extremely abusive relationship with Justin Goldstein, an egotistical jackass she couldn't get away from. Every time a thought of Justin ran through Tanya's head, she'd have a flashback to the numerous times she had been beaten and bruised by her ex.
~FLASHBACK~
"Why the hell aren't you cleaning up this pigsty?" Justin screamed, throwing a glass at Tanya, it shattering upon impact to the cabinet.
"I'm working on it." Tanya sobbed to herself.
"Hurry the fuck up! I'm sick of this shit!" He slammed his fist into the wall causing the sheetrock to give and leave a dent.
Tanya sighed and cleaned up the mess and also the glass, it cut the back of her hand and she bled onto the white carpet. Again, she began sobbing.
This is how Justin and Tanya's relationship was everyday of every week. Honestly, not knowing why Tanya continued to put up with Justin was a mystery to everyone, more than ever to Melissa.
Numerous times, Melissa would try to bring Tanya out to a club to meet some guys, or she'd introduce her to some of Nick's friends, which never worked.
Melissa and Nick had been dating since their sophomore year of high school, which disappointed Tanya even more to see that her best friend since grade school had a perfect, fairytale, relationship and she had a boyfriend from Hell.
But yet, each and every day, for some unknown reason, She'd put up with the physical, mental, and emotional pain that Justin inflicted on her.
"You're not going anywhere today!" Justin yelled as he was getting ready to leave for work.
"But, Mel and I…" Tanya was cut off,
"I said... you are not going anywhere, especially with that bitch Melissa." Justin grabbed Tanya's arm scolding her for disobeying him.
Tanya simply nodded.
Justin let go of her arm and stormed out the door saying, "I'm gonna call and check!"
Tanya flopped onto the couch staring out the window and watched her boyfriend and worst enemy pull out of the driveway in her Mercedes. She wasn't allowed to drive anywhere, so Justin always drove her car.
She also didn't have many friends, Nick and Melissa were pretty much the extent of people Tanya saw outside of Justin, although even the occasions that she saw them were pretty seldom.
Throughout most of the day, Tanya would make sure every inch of the house was clean and that dinner was made and on the table at exactly six o'clock when Justin got home from a long day at the construction site.
"Where is my fucking salad dressing?" Justin yelled into the kitchen not seeing it on the table.
"Right here." Tanya said lowly placing it on the table and sitting at the other end.
"Did you have a good day?" She said glancing up from her plate.
Justin wasn't paying attention, he was too busy shoveling the food into his mouth, which he chewed with it open.
Melissa sat at home wondering if there would be a way she could get Tanya out of the house for an evening.
"Maybe if…"
"Nope. Won't work. Trust me, Justin will know the truth." Nick groaned trying to help Melissa think of excuses why she needed Tanya to come to their house.
"Can't we just tell him that he's a bastard that needs to leave her alone?" Melissa buried her face into her hands.
Nick cracked a smile and said, "Somehow, I think that'd create a problem."
"True, Nicky boy, very true." Melissa answered sitting back in the chair.
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Chapter 2