Prologue

Prologue 

“How dare you speak to me like that you ungrateful bitch? I am your husband! You are bound to me, and I am sick and tired of your excuses!” The slap is precise and hard, snapping my face to the side with its force. The tears in my eyes don't spill, because I know if they do he’ll just be even angrier than he is.

“Honey, just leave her already! You don’t need her anymore.” Jocelyn says from beside my husband. She has been his mistress since just after we got married 2 years ago, and he never treats her the way he does me. He never raises his voice to her or his hand. All his anger is aimed towards me, and I know why - because I am trash! 

“No! She needs to learn her lesson. She is nothing to me or to anyone else! Her family married her off to me, knowing she would suffer the consequences of my wrath. She is ugly, unworthy and stupid!” 

“I know, babe. But.” 

“I said no, Jocelyn!” His angry eyes switch from me to her, and she takes a step back in sheer fright. I understand the sentiment, but I don’t have the privilege to do that. He would just hunt me down and beat me to death. I’m sure I will die by his hands one day. That is my destiny. Why it chose to be so cruel to me, I do not understand, but here I am. 

“Baby, I’m sorry. I only meant she is your wife, and by that she has more power than me in this house and in your company. I am nothing. She said so herself.” Jocelyn lets the tears run down her cheeks, and Bane takes her into his arms. He consoles her before turning his black eyes on me once again. This time the slap is so hard I fall to the floor, and then he kicks me until I am almost unconscious. He leans down with a sneer. 

“You will never be loved, never be good enough for anyone! I loathe you, Annabel, and I will kill you just to prove my point. You are mine, and no one will ever touch what is mine.” I only whimper from the pain. “You will never be free. Never! Do you hear me?” His face is so close I can feel the breath on my face. He grabs my hair, yanking me back, so I have to look at him. “You are my wife, and I will never let you go!” 

I woke up in a sweat. The nightmare of the night where I truly thought I was going to die plays over and over in my head. I tumble out of bed, hissing at the pain in my ribs and my stomach. It’s been a month since that night, and Bane has almost not been home, unless he wanted to take off some steam by beating the crap out of me, or worse, rape me. He takes immense joy in taking me over and over again when I’m not even ready for him. He relishes in my cries of pain and agony, and since they have fated along with my will to live, he tries to hurt me even more to get them back, but at this moment I don’t care. I would rather be killed by him, than let him have my cries.

My name is Annabel Simmons, and I was sold off to Bane Hassle to be married because my father and his stupid wife owed him a ton of money. They were so far gone in debt, he offered them to let it all go if they gave one of their daughters to him. They knew what kind of sick bastard he is, and they chose me mainly because my stepmother hates my guts, and she would never have agreed to sell one of her own precious girls. You see, I look a lot like my mother, and this has always irked my stepmother, but then people in school and social life started to compliment me on my looks at wits in front of her and her devil's spawn, she lost it. 

She started turning my father against me, and he was a willing victim. He wanted nothing to do with me after I had a final fallout with his wife, and cut me off in all ways. I started working to earn my own money, and when he saw I could handle myself, he was furious. He even got me fired from my job because of lies. 

I roll my eyes at my reflection. The girl I once was is completely gone, and the life and spark my hazel eyes once had is dimmed to the point where you would think they were eyes of a dead person. 

My father remarried when my mother died. I was 5 at the time, and at first I was so happy to have a new mother, but Estrella soon showed her true colors. When she got pregnant with my eldest step sister Estelle, she started to orchestrate accidents in our home, and every time she would blame them on me. My father didn’t believe her at first, but as time went on and I kept being at the scene of the crime, he got suspicious. It ended in a big blow out 3 years ago when I turned 20. Estrella had invited me home to celebrate my birthday, and I naively thought she was trying to make up for all the times she has hurt me, but it was a trap. She and my sisters were all there when I walked in, and Estelle screamed at me for showing up unannounced. As I tried to explain that her mother had invited me, Estrella laughed and said she would never invite trash into her home willingly. Estelle grabbed my arm to drag me out, but I yanked myself free from her grasp just as my father came in. They rounded on me faster than a hyena does on a carcass. Estelle started begging me not to hit her again, tears down her cheeks. Father was furious and said that was it! The drop to tip the cup. 

“I am done defending your rude behavior, Bella! It is time you do something useful for this family, and you will therefore marry Bane Hassle tomorrow.”

“No, I won’t. They are lying and you are too blind to see it!” He slapped me so hard it left a mark for the next day. He had his guards grab me and force me upstairs where they locked me in a room until the next day. So, there I was standing in a short (too short) white dress and was forced to say “I do”, so my father could keep pretending he hadn’t gambled away our fortune. Well, his! Because my mother and grandmother left everything they had to me, not to be touched before my 22nd birthday. An odd number now I think about it, but of well. No one knew. Only my father who was outraged, but his hands were tied. He couldn’t touch it.     

My 22nd birthday was yesterday, and today I had a lawyer call my cell phone, but I know Bane has it bugged, so I played dumb, hoping against hope I can meet with the lawyer in person tomorrow on my designated out time. Bane needs to keep pretenses up, so I have time everyday where I don't have men following me or my phone on me. It's half an hour, but it should be enough.  

I know I am not going to get out of here alive without a serious fight on my part, but lately something has stirred inside of me. A rebellion against my hostile situation, and I find myself speculating if I could somehow get out? Could I get Bane to divorce me and kick me out? I wonder what I would have to do to make this happen? 

After washing my face in cold water, I know I can’t sleep anymore. The clock at my bedside says it’s 5am, so I have time before anyone comes to get me for my outing. I’m not allowed to eat today - which I’m used to, because Bane doesn’t want a fat wife. I’m only allowed to eat three times a week, and only what he decided I can have that day. I sigh. I really hope this is going to work, because otherwise I would have to take my own life instead.

As the time goes by and the sun rises over the horizon I decide today is going to be where I get out of this hellhole. I’ll meet with the lawyer and have him help me get ahold of my funds. I’ll need a new identity, but first I’ll need to get away from here. Anywhere, as long as it’s far far away. If Bane ever finds me, he’ll for sure kill me for running away.