Forgiveness BOOK ONE IN A 3 PART SERIES

You did what?

Thanksgiving had been and gone, spending the day at Owens folks' place. Christmas was going to be spent with Dylans family.
Thanksgiving was awful for Dylan. She was constantly on edge in case she did something that Owen constituted fucking up. Owens' parents were shocked at the total change in Dylan.
Tony, Owens' father, took him aside and questioned him.
"What's wrong with Dylan?"
"Nothing." Owen shrugged.
"She's a completely different person, Owen."
"I know." He grinned. "I did that. I made her like it. I threatened and beat her to fall in line." Tony was shocked.
"Owen! What the hell?"
"Dad, I wanted what you and mom have."
"But, you can't force someone to be who they aren't. "
"Sure you can. I did it."
"I don't recognise you,
son. We didn't raise you to be like this. Unkind abusive, manipulative. "
"But....isn't that how you got mom?"
"No, Owen. We fell in love and got married. I love your mother for exactly who she is. She's my world." Owen was shocked.
Owens mother Sophie came to speak to Tony.
"Tony, Dylans, she's so miserable." Owen lifted an eyebrow in surprise.
"Ah She's lying." Owen said.
Dylan was sat in his parents' lounge crying.
"Dylan, what's this crap you have been spouting about being miserable?"
Dylan stood up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "It's the truth, Owen. I am dying inside."
"What a load of crap. You will be good once you start having lots of babies.That will make you
happy."
"Owen, can you hear yourself?" Sophie said to her son. He walked to Dylan and grabbed her by the arm, and started pulling out the door.
"Owen, you're hurting me!" Dylan protested.
"Get in the car!" He demanded and went to get their jackets and Dylans purse.

So Christmas arrived. Dylan was still determined to leave this town and Owen.
Owens leash on Dylan got so much tighter. When she finished work, she had to wait for Owen to finish his. Dylan had to sit on a stool and look at the floor. Any customer who said hello to her, she wasn't able to react.
After Christmas and New Years, Dylan made enquiries for book lists and applied for accommodation on campus. Emails were flying back and forth. She was also in touch with Betty and Augustine. They were eager for her to join them both at college.
It's a miserable Monday in January. The weather was bitterly cold, and the sky threatened snow. Dylan was at work. She was aiding a customer when Owen came into the store. Sophie was also there. She was manning the cash register.
"I need to talk to you." Owen said. He was trying to pull Dylan away.
"Owen, what are you doing? You can see I am helping a customer." Owen let go of her and retreated into the back of the store. Dylan helped the customer, and then Sophie rang them up. Dylan carried on restocking the shelves.
"Dylan, did Owen hurt you?" Sophie said quietly. Dylan looked away and over to Sophie and shook her head.
Sophie went to make herself and Dylan a drink each. Tea for her and a hot chocolate for Dylan.
Dylan had some really good input as to how to help the store run more efficiently. Tony loved her ideas and implemented a lot of them. Owen shook his head and said that when he fully took over, he would get things back to how they were. He said that tradition was important. Owen really did not want Dylan to have any kudos for ideas. In Owens' mind, he thought it would take focus off Dylans main priority, which was birthing boys. All women want are babies. After all, wasn't that their main reason for being on the planet? To constantly be pregnant. He had 3 brothers and a sister, who was still a teenager at high school.
Dylan was happy working and away from Owen. He didn't notice or want to see how much she thrived, helping the business with new ideas. He also didn't see how sad Dylan was now. Or he chose not to.
Owen was waiting in the back as Sophie came through to boil the kettle.
"Hello, son. You know Dylans came up with a few more ideas for the store. She is such a clever woman."
"Nah, I don't want to know Mom."
Sophie shook her head, popping a tea bag in one cup and spooning hot chocolate into another.
"Owen, your father told me what you have done to Dylan. I would be very surprised if she didn't leave you."
"She won't leave Mom. She's dependent on me for everything. How is she going to leave? No, she will tow the line and do as I say."
Sophie picked the 2 cups up and took them onto the shopfloor.
Dylan was manning the cash register now. She had just finished serving a customer.
"Dylan, can I say something?" Sophie asked quietly. Dylan nodded. "If you want to leave Owen, let me and Tony know because we can help you. Plane or train tickets, anything." Dylans eyes filled with water. She put her hand on Sophies and squeezed it gently.
"Thank you, Sophie, that means a lot."
"I don't understand this change in our sons behaviour. Where's it come from? You know he asked Tony if he beat me to get me 'into line'?" Dylan looked at her. "Yea, he has some weird view of a relationship."

Dylan and Owen got through their door. Dylan sat down to take her sneakers off. Owen was not happy about her wearing them. He said that she had to wear heels and nothing else. It was just not practical when you worked in a hardware store and went up and down ladders.
"I want to talk to you, Dylan, about this!" Owen slammed printed out papers onto the dining room table. Dylan had a closer look, and they were emails between her and the college in California. "It's ok, though. I emailed them and told them to cancel everything."
"YOU DID WHAT?" Dylan yelled.
"Who are you raising your voice to?" Dylan didn't care anymore. He had taken her dream away from her again.
"Asshole!" Dylan said. Owen drew his arm back and punched Dylan in the eye.
"YOU RESPECT ME!" Owen said. He then pulled her by the hair through to the hallway. He practically threw her, and she landed on the hallway table. Her stomach took the brunt of the impact. Owen pulled her by her hair again up the stairs to his bedroom. Dylan wouldn't share a room with him anymore. He tried to take Dylans clothes off, but she kept fighting him off. She kicked and scratched at him, screaming. Owens patience had finally snapped. He started kicking and punching Dylan. This bitch would learn! Dylan fought as long as she could, but the kicking and punches were getting too much. As she weakened, Owen took his chance and ripped Dylans clothes off. That's all she remembered before merciful darness took over.