🚨🚧 Trigger warning: mentions of abuse and rape 🚧🚨 (mainly in the flashback)
Past
Michelle met her husband Chad through her friend when she was introduced to him at an event that was being held at his church, an event that she didn't even know nor care about. Her friend was a member of Chad's church and she knew that the new pastor didn't have a wife; she thought her friend would be a perfect candidate. She dragged her friend to the church and introduced the pair. After some deep conversations, Michelle and Chad grew accustomed to each other.
After that day Michelle started going to Chad's Church; she sat through multiple services just to watch the man preach. Michelle wasn't the most religious person; she was religious, just not as strict as other Christians. It was strange how she started dating and eventually got married to a holy pastor; it was just something she never thought would happen.
Still, Michelle stayed true to herself; she didn't change her ways. She was even wearing a revealing red dress and red lipstick when she met Chad; she even wore it to church every Sunday. The red caught many church members' attention and not in a good way. They found the woman to be ungodly and not a right fit for the pastor; they spent most of the service judging the woman instead of listening to the sermon.
Michelle ignored all the judgment and continued wearing her red attire; she didn't care about the whispers or their glares. Everything was fine until people started talking and gossip spread quickly in the church. It didn't take long for word to get to the pastor and that's when Chad was forced to get involved.
"Hey, Michelle, you know I love you just the way you are right," Chad said, holding his wife's hand. They had just left the restaurant where they were having their date.
"Yes, I know. I also know how much you church folk care about your image, especially the pastors. Word got back to you and now you want me to tone my look down," Michelle retorted.
Chad sighed and turned to Michelle, the woman looking ahead, not bothering to look at the man. "Chelle, it's not even like that. The members of the church have nothing to do with this. It's just that what you wear isn't very appropriate for church, the red is just a bit much. Besides, all the red is making you look like a she-demon."
Michelle's head snapped in Chad's detection; the woman's glare caused the man to slightly jump. "Oh, I'm a bit much now! You must think I'm not good enough for you because I'm just too much! The church doesn't need a she-demon as their First Lady, right?!"
"Will you calm down, you're making a scene," Chad said, noticing the looks from others on the street. "Look, nobody ever said those things, you are a perfect First Lady. Michelle, you are not a she-demon nor do you look like one, it was just a joke."
"Chad, don't joke like that, it's not even funny. Do you even know how hard it is for me to be dating you, you being a holy man dating a heathen? The members of your church make sure to remind me every day how I'm not good for you. They talk shit every service just to make sure that I hear them. I'm trying my best, you know that," Michelle said, tears filling her eyes.
Chad gently grabbed Michelle's face and wiped her tears. "I'm sorry baby, please don't cry. Don't listen to anything that they say, it doesn't matter to me at all. Look, I know that you're trying your best and I greatly appreciate it. I'm just asking for a slight change here. At the end of the day, it's just a color. Besides, you can always find a new color scheme. In the end, it will all be worth it, please just consider it."
Michelle didn't want to consider it but she did, she changed herself completely just to please Chad and his church. She stopped wearing red lipstick and switched to wearing nude lipstick. She stopped wearing her revealing red clothes to church as well; she mostly wore long dresses that covered her whole body leaving little to no skin showing. Michelle's favorite color was no longer red, it was white. However, it wasn't her choice, it was her husband's.
