ter

sa'

aring those words. Manager of Nulec Company. My heart raced with excitement, and I

o celebrate, but to escape the constant threats I'd been receiving from an unknown caller. A part of me ho

wedding ceremony, yet I kept telling myself it was for the best-for now. I called Donald to inform him about the promotion despite I'm still furthering my education. Donald was happy

oman who seemed to carry a heavy burden, just like me. He

laughter loud and infectious, though it d

" I replie

She told me a lot about marriage and what she is going through presently. She married a very r

fting. "My husband beats me like I'm some punching bag. I'm

vy and unsettling. I wanted to

"Donald isn't like that. He's... he's a good man

ression tinged with skepticism. "If y

flight and went our separate way

for David, memories from my past crept in, pul

"You wicked girl! Come here and wash these things for me.

as never enough. When she returned from wherever she went, she beat me me

se with nothing but the clothes I had on. My father never

rally on the street. At twenty, I gave birth to my son, David-my handsome, precious boy. He was the one bri

God-so I could go back to school and start working. Every month, I sent

Hilly's company. He saw something in me that I hadn't seen in myself for a

e driver's voice snapped

d, pretending I had b

heart pounded in my chest. The doo

t could melt the hardest of hearts. Before I could respond, h

'am!" he said, his

y sweet boy," I whispered, my heart aching with both love and guilt.

, and all that mattered was the warmth of my s