Shock And Awe

Violence and Blackmail

A/N: Please note that other triggering content (self-harm and suicide will be discussed) throughout the story. Please be forewarned and take precautions if these are troubling for you.

I just wanted to thank everyone for the votes. My muse and I both appreciate it. This is still, as of now, planned to be a fairly long, multi-part story, but if you all aren't into it...I'll wrap it up before too long.

And remember...reviews and votes keep me and my muse motivated...especially if they're positive!!!

***More drama and more secrets revealed***

I hope you enjoy this latest chapter...Now on with the show!!!

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"Remember that life's big changes rarely give advance warning." ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

"Violence is like a weed - it does not die even in the greatest drought." ~ Simon Wiesenthal

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Chapter 41

"He had an apartment off campus and so did I, but we were hardly ever there. We were usually going out or at school...or he was at the hospital. It seemed like a waste of money to be paying two sets of bills when neither one of us were home that much, so we moved in together. That was right before everything went to Hell. We had been getting along really well together...most of the time. Except for those few times that he would disappear and come back 'grumpy', and I liked spending time with him. He thought moving in together could work...two friends being able to spend time together and share expenses. It made sense at the time...but it was all part of his plan. I didn't know that when I agreed to it. He had told his parents that I had agreed to marry him...right after he graduated. Word got back to my parents about our 'engagement' and my parents started planning our wedding with his parents. It just snowballed out of control." I explain.

"But you two weren't even dating at the time...were you?" Matthew asks.

"No...we were just friends."

"So why didn't you just tell your parents that you weren't engaged?"

"It wasn't that simple. With all of the time that we had spent together...he had found out about my cutting...and he threatened to tell my parents and the school. I would've probably been thrown out if they found out about it. He was working so much and doing rotations at the hospital...I thought I could just wait it out...at least until he finished school. I figured by then he would realize what a ridiculous idea it was for us to get married...or I could talk some sense into him. Then he changed everything and decided he wanted to be more than friends with me. He blackmailed me into being his girlfriend." I explain.

"He what?" Matthew angrily replied.

"Yeah...nothing says 'I love you' quite like being blackmailed. I thought about just leaving...but I had told him too much by then. I thought he would ruin what I had built at school and the relationship I had just started to rebuild with my parents. That's when he started to get violent. Part of it was his drinking and all the drugs he was doing...but part of it was just him. The final straw came when he had to work a double-shift at the hospital...and came home in a complete rage. I have no idea why he was so mad at me...but he beat me up and assaulted me so badly that I could barely walk. I waited until he passed out and I left. I couldn't stay there any longer."