ONE

2.4K 80 43
                                    

"You bitch! How dare you!" he screamed and slapped me on my left cheek. I stood there, unable to move, not even able to comfort my cheek that was throbbing with pain. I could scream, though, and I did that.

"Shut up!" the figure barked and ripped a strip of tape and fastened it upon my lips. "Kiss that, you lying whore!"
I don't get it, I never even cheated on him once. I don't know why he thought it.

He paced around in front of me for a while, then he spat out, "Why do you have to hurt me? Don't you love me anymore? Don't you care? I love you! I love you Elizabeth, I love you!"
Yeah, sure you do.

"I love you! I love you! I love you!" he screamed, the loudness and aggravation in his voice arising. He was going to hit me again.

"Don't you understand? I fucking love you! But why don't you love me?" and, just like I thought, before I knew it, his right palm met my left cheek again.

"You heartless fucker!" and there goes the other cheek. They felt numb, as did the rest of my body. I was numb in pain, numb in fear and numb in guilt. I hadn't cheated and I tried my best at this relationship, but maybe my best wasn't good enough? I had failed him just like I failed everyone. I wasn't good enough for anyone. Heck, not even my music was. Everyone called it depressing. I couldn't even make it in the music business. I've failed the world.

Then, suddenly, I felt pain coating me, every inch of my body. He was too fast for me to even realise that he beat me up even more.

He pulled a pocket knife out of his jeans and placed it on my neck.

But it just barely touched me.

He yelled in my face, I could smell the liquor in his breath. I tilted my head away. He scowled at my action and brought the blade to my face. I could feel the sting of the sharp knife digging into my skin as he made a small incision. He seemed to put all of his concentration on it. I whimpered as the pain pulled my nerves.

Then, suddenly, he released his anger into a strong stab of my knee, my right knee. It was so sudden and I was so drowsy, I couldn't even feel it straight away. It was as if my nerves and my brain took forever to process the action and the feeling was delayed.

He pulled out the knife and the pain hit me once again.

My nostrils were small and the amount of air I needed to inhale and the amount my lungs needed to pump out because of the pain were too great for them. He could see me struggling with my breathing so he ripped off the tape. Finally, my lungs received what they really needed. But I didn't deserve it. I deserved to die a painful death. I wasn't worthy of life.

"Kill me," I whispered. "Kill me now. I'm obviously such a bad person."

"Fine, you want me to kill you?" he asked. "Frankly, I'd be glad to right now." Wouldn't shock me, I thought.

"Goodbye you bloody cheating bitch, I hope you rot in hell!" he screamed and the glimpse appearance of a gun was the last image in my mind before my vision blacked out.

-----------

Suddenly, my senses come back to me and I awaken from what must have been a dream yet seemed real with a great big gasp. I was in bed with Jim, he was asleep. I grabbed my phone to check the time. It was midday. Shit. I had two missed calls from Ben. I got out of bed and stepped out on the balcony of our studio apartment and called him back.

"Lizzy!" he greeted.

"Ben, what's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"So a friend of mine is throwing a party and he asked me if I knows anyone who wants to perform and I thought of you straight away. This will be great to increase your popularity and maybe get you signed to a record label," he explained.

"Well," I started. I didn't really like parties. There were too many people and I'm not the best socialiser. I liked small parties but this one Ben was describing seemed large. Yet that party was an opportunity to get some first fans and, if I'm lucky, maybe someone who can get me into the business. I guess the best part of it was that I didn't really have to talk to people. "Fine, okay, I'll go. When is it?" I finally said.

"It's tonight, so get ready, honey!" He was so enthusiastic, like he really believed that party would change things. I've performed at cafés and coffee shops and I still never got any attention, so I'm not sure why he's so confident.

"Okay, I'll try to come, although Jim mightn't like how it's on such short notice," I said, remembering my life obstacle, my boyfriend.

"Oh, darling, when are you going to get rid of him? You can't keep going on with him, you deserve better." Ben's enthusiasm turned into sympathy.

"He's the only person I have...and he's not all bad, I guess. I know I should leave him but you know how he is, what if he won't let me go? I- I had a dream last night. He had tied me up and he was hurting me. And, and," I began to cry, "and I could feel the pain, it felt so real. He brought out a knife and he stabbed me. And then, at the end, he had a gun, a-and I think he shot me."

I was sobbing into the phone and none of Ben's usual comforting words were coming my way.

"Hello?" I asked, sniffing my nose. "Hello?"

I was talking to myself on an empty phone line. I check my phone and it had said the call failed. Of course it had. Even though Ben was trying to be supportive, I knew he didn't really want to hear all my problems and constantly be there for whenever I struggle. The only person I had was my sister but she wasn't available as she was in Los Angeles for her photography. So I was alone. I had no support. I sighed in misery and headed back inside.

Thank God Jim was still asleep. I thought I should start getting ready for this party thing while he's still out and I might be able to sneak out before he awakens.

"Who were you talking to?" spoke a familiar voice. He was awake?

"Oh, um, it was Ben, honey," I answered, startled, my back turned.

"And who's this Ben?" whispered Jim aggressively, I could feel his breath on my neck.

Oh no.

I sighed. "Jim, he's my manager," the fear turned into a slight annoyance...I should have thought about the consequences before I opened my mouth.

"Don't have that attitude with me, Lizzy," he warned.

Fear flushed back into me. "Please Jim, not tonight," I whispered. "I'm going to a party and-"

"A party? Why aren't I invited? Are there any guys there?" he cut me off.
I sighed again. "I'm performing there. I could finally get signed to the right music label! I hear someone from Interscope will be there," I explained.
"Interscope? What is that, a science lab?" He was really making me uncomfortable.

"No, it's a record label. And I only just found out. Ben tried ringing me earlier but I was asleep. I just got off the phone with him," I explained once again. You're welcome to, er, come, I just didn't think you'd be interested." Inviting him to come with me was very hard.

"Of course I'd be interested, sweetie!" he said, changing from his aggressive tone. Inviting him to come with me was also a very bad idea. He'd be watching me the whole time, spying on me, making sure I won't be talking to any men behind his back. He really was a horrible boyfriend, but I was stuck with him. What if the guys from Interscope are men? Fuck! Inviting him really was the most stupid thing I could do. He was going to sabotage my shot at success.

M For Marina: A Larina FanfictionWhere stories live. Discover now