Doctor Peters

Chapter One

Hey so this is my first story! I hope you like it!

I heard the front door slam and fear instantly filled my body. My body became rigid and stiff. I kept my eyes on the potatoes I was preparing on the stove, afraid to look at him. Him being my husband Bryan.

"Dinner smells great, babe," he said. His footsteps grew louder as he approached me. I felt his hand slip around my waist, gripping me tightly. I inhaled sharply as he dug his fingers into my side. I've grown so used to his tight grips, I instantly knew there would be a bruise there later. His lips brushed my ear and I tried not to squirm in disgust. "I expect it to be ready in five minutes."

He released his grip on me and walked into the living room. I let out a shaky breath and a small tear escaped my eye. I quickly wiped it away and focused on cooking.

I wasn't always this terrified of him. I used to love him. We were the couple that people envied but also the couple everyone adored. We were together for almost 10 months when Bryan proposed to me. I thought he was the one. I was hopelessly in love with him. I imagined by this time we would have two kids and a dog, living happily. Of course, I was wrong. Five years ago, when I was 20, I married him and I was completely and utterly happy for two years.

But one night, Bryan had come home from work drunk and reeked of perfume that didn't belong to me. I confronted him about it, angry and feeling betrayed. I was also mad at myself for not seeing the signs. He had smiled less, drank more, and was staying out later than usual. After I faced him, he hit me. After that hit, I was left with a black eye. It was the first time Bryan had hit me, but it wasn't last time. It became routine that he would come home, eat dinner, shower, and sleep. If something went wrong at work, he took it out on me. If I messed something up, I was punished. He made sure that I was never hurt enough for me to be admitted into the hospital because he never wanted anyone to know what was going on in our house. So I became good at hiding the scars and bruises that covered my body, wearing conservative clothing, like turtlenecks, when I went out and hiding my face as much as possible with my hair.

"Ellison! Where's my dinner?!" He boomed, snapping me back into my harsh reality. I fixed his plate and hurriedly went to give it to him. I avoided his gaze as he grabbed the plate from my hands. I went back into the kitchen to get a beer for him. I walked towards him, held out the beer, my eyes trained on the ground. He snatched it from me and I retreated into the kitchen. I cleaned up and proceeded into the bedroom we shared.

I strode into the connecting bathroom and showered. When I stepped out, I noticed my battered body in the large mirror. Yellow and purple bruises were riddled across my small body. Tears brimmed my eyes and I began to sob soundlessly, staring at what I've become: a quiet mouse that couldn't fight against the impending doom. I was very thin, barely eating, my face pale and lifeless. I used to glow with happiness, but it has been stripped away. My honey eyes were now dull and boring. My brown curls once bounced with life, but now they've straightened into waves. I sighed and wiped away any evidence of tears.

When I entered the bedroom, I saw Bryan sitting on the bed getting undressed. I shut the bathroom, and he turned to face me, annoyance on his face. Then his eyes traveled down to my body and fear filled me once again. I watched at lust replaced the irritation in his eyes. Tears sprung to my eyes as he approached me and tossed me onto the bed. He ripped off the towel I had and threw it across the room, leaving me exposed. I whimpered as his hands traveled across my bruises that peppered my lower abdomen.

He pulled off his pants and boxers. I grimaced at his hard member. I didn't want this again. He was drunk, which meant he was going to be rough with me.

"Bryan, can we just sleep tonight?" I asked, trying to reason with him. He slapped my cheek hard and then gripped my chin so that I couldn't escape his sharp, green eyes.