Stay With Me Always

Fifty

Ashley's POV

I realised how it feels to witness light after extreme darkness today when I saw David. He was worried which meant he knew the real reason why we were here. His eyes kept searching something, like examining me. Even though I understood why he was so worried, it broke my heart that I'm responsible for him being so dishevelled. I never wanted this. I never wanted to put him through this.

I always thought why am I here? I've never had a purpose to live for years still I survived but why? After years of asking this question I finally have an answer. I'm here because I haven't experienced the beauty of life yet. I've been through the hardships and now it is time to see and feel what happiness looks like. I've survived through everything so that I know what actually love means.

David kept his hand on thigh and that simple gesture was enough to know that he's there with me. I was taking him to our old house. I've the keys, I always have the keys thinking some day I'll be strong enough to walk through doors again, pack my things and sell that house. I don't know what will happen next but I do know that if I don't do this now, I never will. 

We stood in front of our old house, where I used to live when I was married. We stepped in, I disabled the security code, surprisingly it still worked. I haven't been here in over five years. I used to send someone to clean up in the past but no one has been here in a year or so.

There were pictures of us. They were covered in dust but you could still see the big smile of mine. Our wedding picture, anniversary picture, dates pictures. Aaron loved displaying them. It was all a part of his act. He liked thinking we were happy.

David picked up one of the frames and wiped it to see the actual picture.

"It was a chinese restaurant. We went there on our third date. They take your picture, you write some message and something like that. Horrible food though. Aaron loved that picture so he brought it with him." I explained. It wasn't easy but it was a start.

"How long were you married?" It was the first question he has asked since we left the prison.

"Three years. We dated for six months before getting married."

"That was fast" he snorted. I knew it wasn't a pleasant conversation.

"I met him right after business school. I was interning at this company and he called to ask for money. He was a campaign manager at that time. We ended up talking for an hour and at the end he asked me out on a date. He was incredibly charming and I was young. I believed in meet cute, romance of life, all of that he knew how to take advantage of. He said the right things, he did the right things. He was complete gentleman and I was head over heels. He convinced me to marry him in such a short time. My parents didn't approve the decision. They thought I was too young to think about settling down but I didn't care. I was literally blinded by love. We got married and everything was fine, more than fine. I couldn't see the pattern until it was too late and I was too deep in. You don't know you're marrying a sociopath if he is that great at acting."

David didn't say anything for a while. He kept staring at that picture. I cleared my throat which caught his attention. "Uh.. when did.. he.. you know started to.." he trailed. He didn't know how to ask that question. I wouldn't know either. It isn't a general conversation.

"It was not the hitting. It's more.. he is narcissist who enjoys control. He controlled me throughout our relationship and I didn't even realise until it was too late. He was working for the senator by then. He had a lot of pull, knew alot of people. That was extreme power grab he could ever ask for. It also made him feel he was invincible or something. I was up for a major promotion when he got me fired from my job. I had no idea, I was so distraught that I lost my job and he was there, comfort me, make me need him, control where I go, when I go. He didn't started hitting me in the start. He manipulated me for years before I realised what was happening and once I realised I wasn't going to sit quietly, that's when he resort to hitting. The first time he raised his hand, he couldn't hit me. It wasn't like him. He felt guilty for even thinking about it and I fell for that." I picked up a spoon that had fallen down. "I should've left then and there but I didn't. I made a choice to stay and it was the worst choice I've ever made. I gave him a chance because I loved him and that was my undoing. I keep giving him chances thinking he would change but he didn't. He started feeling less guilty and more powerful. He started enjoying it. I tried to file a complaint but got it withdrawn. He knew alot of people. I couldn't go to my parents. I was so ashamed. I made a conscious decision to stay with an abuser, how do you explain that to your parents? So I did the one thing that guaranteed my destruction, I accepted that it was my new reality. I stopped visiting my parents, days went by and I didn't see Liam or Jenny. Some days were better. We had some normal days, I cherished those until I couldn't I take it anymore. I couldn't live like that. Praying every day to be  a normal day. I couldn't face myself. I was disgusted. It wasn't me anymore. I couldn't file a complaint without him knowing about him so I decided to file another complain that would guarantee his arrest. I knew he was siphoning money, I just needed proof. I got some evidence, I called Liam, told him everything and we went straight to the police station and filled a complain. He was charged after that for money laundering and domestic assault."