Her Saving Grace

Prologue: Void

TW: SA

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Back home, friends were a rarity for me. I had just one, actually.

His name was Angelo, and I loved him with all my heart. For years, we were inseparable, sharing every moment together. He was my rock through every tear, every unrequited crush, every bit of family drama, and all the ugliness that came with it.

Angelo was my sanctuary from the world.

But this time was different. This time, my mother decided to remarry.

Her new husband was the worst person I had ever encountered, and I knew from the start that we would never see eye to eye. At first, it was bearable, but soon he became increasingly aggressive... and disturbingly, a bit too touchy. He had put on a perfect facade at the beginning of their marriage, but it quickly crumbled not even three months after their honeymoon.

He was an asshole, an egotistical, shit-eating excuse of a man.

Things got even worse when he finally met Angelo. When my new step-father found out that my best friend was a guy, everything went straight to hell.

He wanted me to stop being friends with my best (and only) friend and even threatened me about it.

What the actual fuck was his issue, I thought.

It didn't take long for me to realize that his touchiness and possessiveness weren't just in my head. Unfortunately, it was exactly what it seemed like.

He even concocted a story that Angelo and I were secretly together and having sex behind my mom's back. His lies were so convincing that my mother bought them.

Hook, line, and sinker.

I remember the man making his intentions clear, leaning into my ear and telling me, "If I see him anywhere near this house, or you, he's done."

It was vague and left too much to the imagination, which is why I knew I had to listen. I couldn't let anything happen to the one person I cared about the most.

I couldn't see Angelo anymore.

Eventually, it got to the point where I wasn't allowed out of the house, except for school and maybe to run a few errands.

I was confined and scared of the people who were supposed to love me.

And I soon realized that my mother wasn't going to do anything about her husband's behavior. She'd shy away from him at first, but then they fought constantly. Honestly, I would never stay in a situation where my husband was beating me 24/7 and had a low-key infatuation with my daughter.

But I guess we can't all be mother of the year, right?

But I had had enough. I was going to go crazy staying in that house with those people. So I did what any dumb teenager does when things get too much.

I went to a party.

One that I knew Angelo wouldn't attend. I didn't want to intrude on his life with my issues. But mostly, I avoided him because I couldn't face him with everything that had been happening.