“He did hate me then, and he still hates me.” Tessa rolled her eyes. “He had to, because no one just stops seeing their friends for no reason,” Tessa said. “I am sure he hated me because I saw through his crap. I never liked him. Who knows what he would say if he knew we were talking now.”
“He won’t,” Aurora said. “But you told me how he was before I married him. I just didn’t want to listen. I am sorry I let him get between us.”
“It’s fine. I am just happy you are not with him.”
“I am sure.”
“I am happy that you will be staying with me.”
“I am just glad you said yes.” Aurora took a deep breath and smiled as she relaxed her stance. “I was expecting the worst.”
“You always expect the worst, Rora.” Tessa smiled and let out a soft and comforting laugh. “Some things never change.”
--
Aurora went to her and Gannon’s apartment with Tessa after work the next day.
“I’m not going to miss this place,” Aurora said as she and Tessa walked into the living room. “It was like my own little hell here.”
“Funny thing is,” Tessa said, “this is the first time I am allowed in your place, and it is to pack your things.”
“Please, Tessa,” Aurora said. “You know I felt guilty about that every single day.”
“I know. I am just messing with you.”
Aurora looked at her wedding picture hanging on the wall.
“Wow,” Aurora said. “That is probably the last time I remember being happy.” Aurora pointed at herself in the photo.
In the photo, Aurora was wearing her dream wedding dress, which was an off-white lace dress, like the dress Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, had worn to marry Prince William. Aurora’s hair was up in a French twist and she was wearing a white lace veil. The ceremony was a picture-perfect fall wedding. They were at Gannon’s parents’ estate, The McMaster Plantation, just outside of Auburn, Alabama. It had a beautiful garden in it. Aurora was sickened when she thought it was probably built on the backs of slaves, but she never said anything about it though it bothered her deeply. The garden had been around since it was created in 1862 when Gannon's great-great-grandparents first purchased the land after coming to the United States from Ireland. In the photo, Gannon and Aurora were walking in the garden down the wedding aisle that was covered in white rose petals. The garden flourished with pink peonies, which were Gannon’s mother’s favorite flower.
“I doubt I will ever have a wedding like this again,” Aurora said. “Not like I ever want to again, anyway.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Tessa said as she got closer to the photo. “But wow. To think you were only twenty-one when you and Gannon got married.”
“Yup, and Gannon was twenty-three,” Aurora said. “Everyone said we were too young to get married, but we didn’t care. I just loved him so much, but it was only that Gannon didn’t want to lose me to my career.” Tears ran down Aurora’s face, and she wiped them away with her sweater sleeve.
“Aurora,” Tessa said as she tried to console Aurora.
“It is just that everything changed on the day I married him,” Aurora said. “Everything changed after I said ‘yes’.”
“It’s okay,” Tessa said. “It is done now.”
“I was just so stupid,” Aurora said as her cheeks grew red and her voice began to crack. “Giving up my dream of working at The New York Times for him.”
“Aurora,” Tessa said. “This is upsetting you. We don’t need to talk about it.”
“It is what it is,” Aurora said. “He literally ran to my gate and begged me not to leave. I mean, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so young and naïve.”
“No, you were not,” Tessa said. “Do not blame yourself.”
“He didn’t even have a ring to propose with.”
“Aurora,” Tessa said as she touched Aurora’s arm, “there is no need to talk about this anymore. It is only making you upset and it is in the past now.”
“You’re right,” Aurora said. “Let’s start packing.”
Aurora stared at the couch where she and Gannon would sit and binge watch Netflix. All she could see was a vision of her friend and Gannon kissing. Aurora clenched her jaw and fists as she thought, I wonder how long Gannon and Shazzy have been doing this with one another.
Aurora and Tessa went to her office to pack up some of her things.
“Wow, Tessa,” Aurora said. “I will never forget the time he kicked my desk chair out from underneath me and bruised my whole left hip. It took months for that bruise to go away.”
“Aurora, I can’t believe I never knew.”
“I know it is uncomfortable to hear, but it happened,” Aurora said. “I still have photos of the bruises on my phone.”
“Why did you never show them to the police?”
“I don’t know.” If people only knew why it is just so hard to up and leave an abusive relationship.
“Well, you need to get yourself a lawyer,” Tessa said. “And when you do, as hurtful as it will be, show this to them.”
“Come here and look at my phone,” Aurora said. Aurora pulled up the picture that showed the bruise marks on her hip.
“Oh Aurora,” Tessa said as she put her hand to her mouth in awe.
In one photo, from another time, Aurora’s left forearm had a large purple mark from where Gannon had thrown her against a countertop.
“I only took them because I wanted to have proof if I ever had the courage to leave,” Aurora said. “And he would always threaten me that if I tried to tell anyone, he would tell everyone I am crazy and that I cheated on him. I just want proof of what he did to me.”
“Tessa, it was such a normal occurrence,” Aurora continued. “When one bruise would disappear on my body, a new bruise would form. It was like my body was a blank canvas he painted and colored with bruises.”
“I am so sorry,” Tessa said. “If I had known, I would have done everything I could to help prevent this.”
“It is not your fault,” Aurora said. “After every fight, I would just put a bandage on our relationship and hope it would heal itself, like my bruises and scars. But the scars on my heart never healed – they only grew more with time. And now look where I am. I made it out. Finally.”
Chapter 5
Aurora stepped on the scale in her bathroom and to
