Begin Again

Chapter Three

*TW: Physical Abuse*

"Don't you be ashamed to say he hurt you. I'm your girl, you're my girl."

Salomé's P.O.V.

I exhaled a huge sigh as I listened to my sister remind me of our last encounter.

"Yes, Rachel, I remember vividly."

"So, how dare you just decide to come back into my life, like nothing's happen-?"

"I need your help, Rachel."

She stopped pacing the room and peered back at me with disbelief expressed on her face.

"You need help and the first person you call is me?" She shook her head, bewildered, "Where's the love of your life?"

Dropping my head into my heads I mumbled, "...I left him."

"Huh?" She cupped her ear, highlighting that she didn't hear me the first time.

"I. Left. Richard." I responded, more confident that I no longer had to live under his tyranny.

"What do you mean, you left him?"

"For goodness' sake, what else do you think I mean by he's out of my life?" I snapped.

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!" She put her hands up in defence, "I just can't believe you've finally done."

"Finally? So what, you mean you knew I would leave him?"

"...No, but I know that he didn't deserve you then and he doesn't deserve you now."

Silence.

"But what I don't get," she started, "is why you've suddenly left him. Does mum and dad even know about this, I mean this is crazy, how..."

She continued her rambling, unaware of the monsoon my thoughts were currently trying to occur. I left him. I'm here with my sister, who I haven't seen for years. And she's angry at me. Rightfully so.

"He hit me, sis!" I cried, no longer able to hold in the pain. "And i-i-it's not like this was the first time and I just left. He's been like this for a while now and I-I-I stayed to try to help him, but he only turns to God instead of his own..."

Before I could even finish, I bursted out into sobs. For all the times when I wanted to cry, but Richard didn't let me. For all the times when I needed from my husband but was turned away. From all the times I was humiliated and beaten and kicked and punched and clawed and scratched by the man who swore to love and cherish me until death do us part.

Through my tears, I could see Rachel race towards me and bend down so she was at my level. From this point I was speaking incoherently, so I couldn't hear what she was trying to say to me.

Rachel's P.O.V.

"...and then I tried to tell him stop but he still wouldn't listen and..."

She stopped trying to speak over me as she struggled for breath.

"My...my," she wheezed as she gestured towards her satchel.

I rushed towards it, scrambling for what I thought she needed. Her inhaler. Her quivering hands struggled for the release button at the top; what were those things called?

Wait. Since when did she have asthma?

"He did this to me." She replied, to my outspoken question.

Drying her tears, she looked up at me. Her bloodshot eyes still had tears settling at the base. The escaped tears were smeared across her brown skin. I proceeded to softly wipe her face, whilst she closed her eyes breathing a sigh of relief. Torment still lined the creases of her forehead and bags under her eyes.