She drove straight through the night, a flurry of emotions whizzing by like the signs on the thruway.
The city was a beautiful sight, filled with lights and good times, at night. The Queen rose powerfully in her sight, welcoming her to the capital before she even crossed into the city's borders. Sarah held her phone in her hand, watching as Henrik texted her nonstop, asking if she was okay. The only response Sarah gave him was that they needed to talk. More so that she needed to tell him something.
She arrived at his apartment, parking on the side of the street. Sarah sat there a moment, hands on the sides of her head as she wanted to scream. It was there, just bubbling in her throat, ready to be released, though it never seem to come out. All that trickled out were broken sobs and gasps.
It was close to midnight, the clouds above the city blocking out the moon and the entirety of the night sky. The wind was whistling past the trees and blowing the autumn leaves around. In the breeze, a scent carried, a smell usually calming for Sarah, but in recent terms it only brought a mixed feeling of dread and sadness.
She was quick to his door, pounding on it desperately, patience waning. Just as he opened the door, Sarah was met with concerned eyes. Before Henrik could ask what happened, Sarah collapsed onto him, wrapping her arms around his frame quickly. The strength in her legs were faltering, leaving Henrik to drag her inside.
His grip on her elbows made her want to swing, to hit whoever was holding her, but she let the instinct escape in loud gasps of breath, which led into quiet sobs into his chest.
"Sarah-!" He muttered, holding her tightly. She couldn't breathe. It felt like fire to try and recollect herself. Every decision she made up until that moment came hurling towards her in a quick ball of fury that made her stomach turn. She wanted to vomit, but she held it in.
Henrik held her there, keeping her up gently as the truth began to spill from her lips. First, it was her admitting she already had children with another man. Their names continued to slip out of her as she thought about each one of their faces. The more she continued to reveal their identity, the more she realized that her leaving was the worst mistake she's ever had. Regret pooled into her chest in a quick manner, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Sarah was shivering, hiccuping, trying to breathe as she shook in Henrik's arms. He was still, holding her up, silent and listening to her as the hidden truths were uncovered. The sadness was intoxicating, blinding her in a moment of sorrow and rage where everything could be pulled from her grasp.
Then, he began to touch her collarbone, softly rubbing over the spots of fading blue. Sarah froze, almost flinching from the ache that sprouted at the tips of Henrik's fingers. Slowly, he uncovered her flesh, pulling back her clothing to reveal the evidence of Oliver's abuse.
"He did this...?" Henrik asked shakily, voice trembling with an unreadable emotion. Sarah could tell he was angry, but she couldn't tell who he was angry at.
The thought of Oliver felt like one of his many hits. A bruise on her heart was forming, and her patience had already been tested one too many times. All Sarah could offer in response was a quiet whimper of a choked sob. Henrik asked no more questions, he simply pulled her into his chest, hand resting at the back of her head, massaging her scalp.
Sarah cried harder, hugging Henrik with the last fading strength she had in her broken body.
"Sarah..." Henrik muttered, rubbing her head.
"My sweet Sarah..." He hugged her like it was the last time; unable and unwilling to let her go. Henrik stared ahead, a widened stare stamped onto his features. His eyes were focused on the floor, but she could tell he was somewhere else- somewhere where she couldn't find him.
The taste of freedom was bittersweet, an expectation Sarah didn't have. All she wanted was the feeling of flying, which always came when she was around Henrik and Oliver managed to slip from her mind.
The bitter was the thought of her children trapped in the same household with that monster.
Her tears started to dry, and she couldn't begin to know how long she stood there with Henrik, crying into his chest, hanging onto his body as it would be the last good thing she'd ever know.
The children... Sarah muttered to herself, to which Henrik pulled away from her in hopes to hear her speak again.
My children.
"Sarah," Henrik began, hands slipping down to her shoulders. He held her together, eyes inspecting her carefully. Sarah couldn't look at him. She stared down at their feet, hands clenching together into tight fists. Henrik tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, watching her carefully. Sarah couldn't answer him, nor could she think properly.
The thoughts going through her mind was partial memory.
They can still get rid of me. Sarah's voice was echoing in her head. Her mother's face was in her memory, in front of her, massaging her hand, staring into her eyes. What stung about the familiarity about her face was that it was the last time Sarah spoke to her mother as a neutral equal. The last time was in tears and anger, ending in a slammed door and silence between the two.
They're not going to get rid of you. The memory almost brought tears to Sarah's eyes as she realized, in likewise to her father, she never got a proper goodbye. She was completely alone in the world, trying to wade through wreckage after wreckage.
Henrik's voice echoed to her but she couldn't hear it. Not directly. His hand cupped her cheek, calling out to her as she began to formulate her own plan of finally getting away from any and all ruin.
But I can get rid of them.
YOU ARE READING
The Grean Household
Romance"It was a mistake..." She told her mother, folding her hands into each other. "Marrying him..." Her mother said nothing, she simply sat there as her only daughter stood across from her, on the verge of collapsing from bruised ribs and cracked shins...
