*Could you ever love a broken person?* "I understand that you're broken," he said as he lifted her chin so she stared directly into his eyes. "But I want you to understand that it is my job to restore the happiness you lost. I am your husband now, Afrah. And it is my responsibility to make you happy. So that is my mission from now until the end of time." Afrah stared down at her hands, feeling as though her soul was being wrenched from her body. She couldn't look him in the eye. Not after what she had gone through. Not when she still saw the devil in his eyes. * It is said that the most painful wounds leave the deepest scars. No one could attest to that more than Afrah Aminu. For eleven years she's kept a secret to herself, knowing that she might never be able to tell anyone. Not that she wanted to. But now, with the sudden arrival of a strange man in her life, she finds herself thrown into the terrifying situation of having to relive it all. As he tears down each and every wall she has set up around her heart, the memories of that haunting night come crashing in waves. Will she be able to survive it? Or will she be crushed underneath its weight?

The sound of the shattering glass sent a chill down my spine, forcing me to withdraw deeper into the corner where I was tucked in. "Mansur, please stop. At least for Aaliyah's sake." I begged, the tears streaming down my cheeks. He swung around to face me, his eyes blazing with rage. "To hell with you and that bloody girl." he yelled. Do you hear me, Salma? To HELL with you and her. This is my house, and I can do whatever I want." he yelled, throwing the bottle at my dressing mirror. The glass shattered all over the room, the larger pieces landing on some of the bottles on the drawer beside the dressing mirror in which I kept my incense sticks. This caused them to shatter as well, the glass falling everywhere across the room. I could hear Aaliyah crying in the next room, but I could not go to her as Mansur was blocking the door. "You will learn your place today." he yelled, unbuckling his belt. I shut my eyes as the tears continued to flow, knowing all too well what came next. The first strike was always the one that hurt most.