Stuck

Currently, I am living in an awful neighborhood. I lived with my sister as I couch-surfed at her apartment. My real name was Tamsin Clemens and at 25, I have nothing. I had just tried to get divorced from my dangerous husband, Raymond Clemens. He promised me everything would be okay and instead cleaned my account out, beat me up, and threatened my life. So, I was now living downtown in a very crime-ridden area. My sister lived above a small grocery store called Smith's. I didn't even have clothes when I showed up at her door. You'd never have known I had a rich husband who gave me an affluent lifestyle. Raymond scared me enough that I went into hiding with my estranged sister.
Raymond hit me with a baseball bat, and I escaped through the dog door. I had nothing but the clothes on my back and my scarf I wore that day to cover my face and head. I ran through the neighbors' yards and soon I was on the street. A bus was at the bus stop and I got on. Riding the bus all day long, I realized I only had one hope to get away from Raymond. I would eat crow and go to Emily's apartment. Every night after I left Raymond I had nightmares of Raymond without reprieve. The reason he wouldn't find me at my sister's house is because the neighborhood she lived in was scary bad. My sister hated me from a long time ago. I had disowned her and told everyone I hated her. I was married to Raymond. I disowned everything while I was with him. When Raymond and I got together, I cut ties to most of my family. Emily was different, though. I purposely dumped her out of my life on my own. She protested against Raymond marrying me. I disowned her and forgot her. Then I showed up on her doorstep with a broken arm, broken ribs, black eyes, and what seemed to be internal wounds from him kicking me five years later. It was Emily or death. I swallowed my hateful words I had said to her and pleaded at her door. 

Emily was correct about Raymond Clemens. He was not worthy of marriage to me. Raymond knew I wouldn't have anything to do with Emily. I wondered on her doorstep if I was going to beg her to help me after how I treated her.

Emily opened the door wearing her scrubs and was carrying a purse. She was probably on her way to work at the downtown hospital. It paid poorly. She lived in the center of the city block, a high-crime area. She had like fifty locks on her upstairs apartment door. Emily seemed tired and not up for any shit today.

Emily looked me over once and frowned as she impatiently asked, "Why are you here, Tamsin?"

"Because he would find me every other place. My life is in danger. He wants to kill me because I want a divorce. He has told me he wishes me dead. What I look like now... Raymond tried to get rid of me and I ran away to you somehow. If he finds me, I die. You're all I have, Emily. Every other place he would find me. I'm sorry about the past. I am sorry I disowned you. I need help."

Emily shook her head. No getting ready to tell me to leave when I coughed up blood from the internal injuries I had sustained in getting away from my multi-millionaire husband.
Emily's eyes grew wider, and she cautioned me, "Come inside so no one can see you." As she pulled me inside. I collapsed on her couch and was in and out of consciousness for long bouts. Emily knew I couldn't risk going to the hospital, but that she could help me. She treated my several broken ribs and set my broken arm. She gave me pain meds and after 2 weeks, I had come back from the brink of death. I had to support myself without being found out and stay hidden.
Before I could leave Emily's apartment, I had to change the way I looked. I used to have very long, ice-white blond hair paid for by Raymond, who loved his platinum-haired wife. It disgusted me. I hadn't liked his control over the way I looked ever and I was free to be me. I dyed it a dark brown, my natural color, and Emily cut it into a layered shag. When I was with Raymond, I wasn't allowed to wear clothes that showed my body. He felt like my body only belonged to him. I wore baggy pants and baggy shirts. Nothing form-fitting. I looked plain even though he had supported me with an upper-class lifestyle.
I looked in my sister's closet and everything was form-fitting. I looked at Emily and told her, "It's so um... I've not worn anything to show my figure and I'm sort of... afraid of it."

Emily shook her head, saying, "You are beautiful. Your body is beautiful and you can wear something that isn't 10 sizes too big for you. Try this dress on."

I put on a black dress that hugged my curves and showed a thin body. Emily remarked, "Beautiful. No more hiding. Come out and see what you look like Tamsin. Black eyes faded and who you are is coming through."

I looked in the mirror, and a brunette with a simple dress that looked sexy was before me. I looked over at Emily and asked, "Why did I let him dress me? Why did I stay with him? What was the point of these red flags I ignored?"

"Because you were surviving him. Who you see in the mirror is who you are. Beautiful and young, pretty and thin with an attractive body. Don't let him or anyone hide who you are." She told me as she held my face straight to apply blush on my cheeks.

I welled up in tears and hugged Emily. I cried, "I felt like I was hiding for so long and then I just gave up the idea that I could be happy. A pang of sadness was all I had, and I was lost and nothing pulled me out except the fear I felt for Raymond. I never will recover from that."

Emily told me, "Yes, you will, and you will find out that most people are nothing like Raymond. He entrapped you. You got married at 20 years old to a 35-year-old. Raymond groomed you and took advantage of you. The next step is returning to the world." I smiled at Emily and she continued, "I know a job you could get, but you need something first. A new identity and I'm buying you a new social security number so you can work. You used to volunteer at the museum, but now you might have to take a job that isn't glamorous and will have to do for now."

"As long as I stay safe, I'll do anything." I fretted.