Chapter 2

As I was sobbing, Buddy nudged me with his head, snapping me out of it. That was when it hit me that this place was seriously dangerous. I grabbed my phone and called the police right away.

I kept it brief. "My husband kicked me out of the car on the highway. I'm on the shoulder."

The cops showed up fast. "Hop in. It's way too dangerous out here."

They drove me to the nearest rest area and asked if I needed help getting in touch with my family.

I shook my head, my voice hoarse. "No, thanks."

I needed some time alone to calm down.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the convenience store at the rest area, and my phone buzzed.

It was a message from Andrew. [Have you realized you messed up?]

Andrew: [I'm at the next rest stop. If you've calmed down and made up your mind, I'll come back and pick you up.]

Andrew: [Why can't we go to your family's place next year? What's the big deal?]

Andrew: [My patience is running out. Don't push your luck.]

Andrew: [Do you have enough money for a hotel? Or to get home on your own?]

Andrew: [You can't survive without me]

One message after another, each word stabbing right into my heart.

I stood there in the biting wind, clutching my phone, my whole body freezing, but inside, it was like a pot of boiling oil.

He knew I was stuck, convinced I couldn't do a thing about it.

Yeah, in his eyes, I was a woman who'd moved far away for him, had no job, no savings, and barely any friends. What other choice did I have but to swallow my pride and go back with him?

But in that moment, it was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over me. I finally woke up.

All the little things from the past three years of marriage, all the details I kept making excuses for, suddenly came rushing back, crystal clear.

Andrew and I met online.

He always texted me good morning and good night, never missed a day. On holidays, he'd surprise me with gifts and always made sure I was okay.

He went out of his way for my parents. He never skipped a holiday and always brought loads of gifts to them.

Against my parents' wishes, I was dead set on marrying him, thinking I was marrying for love.

Things were fine between us most of the time, but every Christmas, we'd end up fighting.

His family lived way out in the north. The first time I went there for Christmas, it was freezing, like minus 4 or minus 20 degrees.

I had to use an outhouse in the yard, shivering so hard that I thought I'd turn into an icicle, with snowflakes falling right on my head.

I was from the South, where every meal came with three dishes and a soup, always a mix of meat and veggies.

At his place, they'd plop down a giant pot of stew and eat that for days straight. There wasn't a single green veggie anywhere.

I was so constipated that I tossed and turned all night and couldn't sleep at all.

But Andrew rolled his eyes and said I was being picky. "You're so spoiled. We've lived like this forever, and you're the only one making a fuss."

After countless arguments, we finally, and reluctantly, settled on spending Christmas at his family's place this year, and mine next year.

Last year, Andrew insisted we had to go back because his grandma was sick, so I gave in.

This year, he pulled the same stunt, saying his brother and sister were both coming home, so we absolutely had to have a family reunion with them.

*****

After we got married, he talked me into quitting my job so I could focus on having a baby.

My savings got drained bit by bit after the wedding.

Once my savings were gone, he started giving me barely 500 dollars a month to get by. Even buying daily necessities made me think twice.

He stopped visiting my family altogether. On my parents' birthdays, he'd grab some random fruit from a roadside stand instead of picking out something nice like he used to.

Before, whenever I gave my parents gifts, he'd smile and say it was only right. But after we got married, he never gave them one again.

But I saw on his phone that he sent his parents 1,000 dollars every month and covered a down payment of over 3,000 dollars for his brother.

What really broke my heart was when I overheard him bragging to his friends over drinks.

He said, "Once a woman's married, she's locked in for good. No need to bother sweet-talking her anymore.

"She moved all the way out here for me, doesn't know a soul. She's stuck now, no way she's leaving. Gotta make her get used to how things work in my family, and the sooner the better.

"Once she has a kid, she'll have to listen to me more. By then, she'll have no choice but to do whatever I say."

I stood outside, my hands and feet numb, still foolishly making excuses for him, thinking, 'Men need to save face in front of their buddies. It's all empty bragging, nothing serious.'

Only then did I realize it was never empty bragging.

He'd been plotting from the start, clipping my wings, taking away my freedom, and tightening his control over me step by step.