The Runaway Girl and The Billionaire

Chapter 11: All is forgiven

"Chin up! " the instructor barked.

Lana was stepping out of her comfort zone again, this time at the gym. After noticing an opening in the self-defense class, she decided to sign up. What she didn't expect was the one on one attention that Debbie, the instructor, gave her.

It was just the two of them in the ring, after no one else showed up for the early session. Initially, she was intimidated, but after reminding herself why she was doing it, Lana decided to take a leap of faith.

Running from Danny wasn't that great of a life plan, so she had to prepare for the inevitable confrontation if she ever had a chance of reclaiming a normal life. She hated to think of herself as weak, or defenseless, so learning how to protect herself was empowering.

With every punch thrown, she could feel her confidence building. More than she needed to develop a new personality, Lana felt she just had to break down all the walls she had built up to protect herself in her marriage. Dan was so controlling and abusive, he made her believe she was worthless.

Now, it was up to her to remind herself just how powerful and special she was. Working out was one of the best ways to do that, because the results were tangible-she could feel her strength grow and see the changes in her body.

"Right hook!" Debbie yelled, holding her hand up as the target. Lana did as instructed, using great form and she was rewarded with praise.

Circling around the ring, the two women exchanged punches as they worked through the routine. Soon, all of Lana's jitters were gone and she was completely focused on the workout, keeping perfect form and hitting each target Debbie drew her way.

It was fun and exhilarating, and although she knew she wasn't ready to fight Dan, Lana felt more prepared with each blow. She was becoming the woman she wanted to be, but her old baggage seemed to constantly weigh her down.

Tina had tried talking to her about separating her abusive relationship from everyone else in her life. In a way, Dan had darkened the world to Lana, making everyone appear to be out to get her. She knew Tina was right, she was definitely too paranoid and closed off, but she wasn't sure how to change.

Obviously, she didn't want to give Dan continued opportunity to control of her life by allowing him to affect her current relationships, but what choice did she have? Someone was out to get her, so she had to be careful.

From the outside looking in, it could seem like Lana was overly cautious, but she was the only one who had seen what Dan was capable of. He wouldn't take no for an answer, and she always knew that one day she would finally have to face the monster who had ruined her life.

"Good job!" Debbie yelled, when Lana successfully completed a new combination of punches.

She hadn't considered how calming boxing would be. Up there in the ring, she felt above all of the drama of her life, thinking clear for once. Whenever Lana was going about her normal routine, her mind was a wreck with worry and possibilities for danger, but when she exercised, she felt nothing but the strain of her muscles. She was free, and it felt incredible.

Things were really shaping up in her life, and she wanted to embrace it rather than fear the inevitable destruction. Running for all this time had made Lana afraid of close bonds, because she knew how hard it was to walk away from a place or person that she had developed a connection with.

To avoid that heartbreak, she had learned to not to let anyone too close, or let herself get too involved with a community. Taguig city had blown that plan up without a second thought, it seemed. Not only did she have a job, but she had made a great friend in Tina.