𝖙𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞-𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 • 𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖆𝖓 𝖗𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖓𝖘

4.

Standing in the dimly lit hallway of her apartment, his eyes dark with fury, was her abusive boyfriend named Trevor. There he stood before them with a look of rage in his eyes. He was infuriated with Jasmine's lateness.

"Where the fuck have you been, Jasmine? You should've been home hours ago!" He snapped, "You know what happens when you're late."

"T-Trevor! I...I had to work for awhile longer so I could make enough money to..."

"I'm not buying your little bullshit lies, Jasmine!" He shouted, cutting her off, "Where's your little stripper paycheck, huh?"

In the chaos that followed, Joe's only thought was to protect Jasmine, to shield her from harm at any cost. And as he stepped between her and her abuser, his own safety forgotten in the heat of the moment, he knew that no matter the outcome, he would stand by her side until the very end.

As Joe's eyes swept over Jasmine's trembling form, his heart clenched with a mixture of rage and despair. The sight of the bruises slightly covering her delicate skin sent a surge of protective fury coursing through his veins; a primal instinct to shield her from further harm at any cost.

His hands curled into fists at his sides, his muscles tensing with the overwhelming urge to confront her abusive boyfriend, Trevor, and to beat the living hell out of him more importantly.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Joe protested.

Trevor snickered, "I'll talk to her however I want to, Buddy. I suggest you back off and we won't have any issues."

With a steely resolve, Joe forced himself to take a step back in attempt to ease his angered nerves, his gaze never leaving Jasmine's as he silently urged her to stay calm. Despite the storm raging within him, he knew that lashing out in a blind fury would only escalate the situation, putting Jasmine in even greater danger.

But as Trevor continued to make things worse, his fists were clenched in readiness for a fight, Joe knew that he couldn't stand idly by and watch as Jasmine suffered in silence and trembling in freight. With a swift motion, he positioned himself between them once more, his stance firm and unwavering as he faced down her attacker.

"Enough!" He shouted, his voice low and commanding. "You need to leave Jasmine alone. I can tell that you've hurt her and I'm not having it. I suggest you leave this house and never return or else we're gonna have a problem."

For a moment, there was a tense standoff between them as Joe's body stood in front of Trevor's. The nightly air thickened with the promise of violence and tension that filled the entire room. But as Trevor almost hesitated for a mere second, his eyes flickering with uncertainty, Joe knew that he had to stand his ground.

"Oh? And what exactly are you going to do about it, big man?" He asked, followed with a scoff, "Are you supposed to be her little knight in shining armor?"

"What if I am? And do you think causing bodily harm and emotional scarring to Jasmine is something to be proud of? No man should ever put his hands on a woman!" He snarled, "You're a sorry excuse of a boyfriend."

Joe continued, "You're treating Jasmine like she's your property when she's a human being with emotions. But you know what? She deserves better than you. And I'm not going to stand by and watch you hurt her any longer..."

Trevor's face contorted with anger at the accusation, his fists clenching at his sides once more as he prepared to lash out in retaliation. But before he could respond, the tension between them erupted into a full-blown fight, the sound of fists meeting flesh echoing through the air as they clashed in a whirlwind of violence and fury.