記憶に咲く薔薇　～消えゆく庭を守る少女たち～

Inside a bus, a young lady is seen sweating profusely, as within every seconds and minutes that passed by, she would glance at her wrist watch to check how much time she was wasted stuck in traffic.

It was early winter and late in the evening when Diana Ross, had clocked out of work in a haste to make it back home on time to prepare her husband's dinner, but luck weren't on her side this time around as the traffic jam, didn't seem like it was going to clear any time soon.

Others who were on the bus with her, weren't bothered with the way Diana was acting as if she has seen a ghost, the moment she checked her watch to see that she has overstayed her time outside, she sat up on her seat with a jerk, that made everyone to look at her weirdly like she has gone crazy.

But knowing that none of them could save her from the trouble, she was in made her not feel bothered, she rushed in a haste and paid for the taxi while feeling Mr. Blaine's pitiful eyes on her, since she was his long time customer, and a neighbor in town who knew the reason why she was acting up like that.

"Have a good night, Sir." She said, with a smile and ran out of the bus, as everyone's attention was on the married woman, all Mr.Blaine and the rest of the others who knew her in town could do was to pray for her poor soul, since she's about to walk into the lion's den.

One might wonder if there was actually a lion's den, in the old shabby town, in New York city, where she lived with her family. But no!

The lion was actually her husband, who's story of how badly he was treating his wife has circulated around town, that it wasn't any new news anymore if Diana ends up getting any beating from pissing him off.

Diana Ross, twenty four years old , married to her highschool sweetheart, Kelvin Ross, they are married for five years without any child and that had been the main problem in her marriage, when things didn't turn out good and sweet like it has been since they knew each other.

Diana is an orphan, whose family died in a fire outbreak that left the young girl in the care of her grandparents, who were no more, so, all she got was her husband and her work as an aspiring editor at a firm in the city.

With her long blonde hair cascading down her back, Diana was nothing but a beauty, who's innocent and caring heart might have been what attracted that devil of a husband her way, it's just like they say, the devil tends to destroy innocent souls!

When she saw the lights coming from her house, Diana's heart pounded harshly against her chest since she already knew that he was back before her, and an angry Kevin is not a beautiful sight to see.

She nearly fell to the ground when she trampled on a wood, but injuring herself doesn't seem like a bad idea than Kevin actually being the one to inflict the pain on her personally.

Her relationship with Kelvin wasn't ruined like it is right now, at first it started with the silly crush in highschool, then the confession about her being on his mind, to the first date where he treated her like a princess, down to graduating and getting married immediately.

At first, she had seen the red flags in Kelvin, her friends tried telling her about it, but you all could imagine how it feels to be separated from the one person that stayed in your life, when you lost everyone.

Kelvin was the only beautiful thing in her life, and she had to let the friends go, which Kelvin noting them as oppressors to their relationship, so even while she got married, none of her past friends were there for her, Kelvin's sister was her chief bridesmaid, so you could see that her life revolves around him.

Although Kelvin's mother has always not liked her, since she was an orphan who had nothing to offer her son, just like she would always say. Kevin was the only son, who could have achieved a lot but she's the reason why he gave up leaving the country, and achieving more than he had now than a doctor he was in town.

Along the years, Kelvin was sweet and a loving husband anyone could hope for, until the late night's return, which was followed by assault's on her whenever she tried talking with him.

He has specifically insisted that her inability to get him a child, a son was the breaking point of their relationship, but then when no one knew who was at fault for their infidelity even after trying out various advices from doctors, it seems as if the heavens didn't favor her much any longer to punish her this way.

Instead of waiting for Kelvin's anger towards her to accelerate higher, Diana tried calling him while climbing the stairs towards their house, but he wasn't picking up and he was doing that on purpose.

She knew it, he's fuming by now.

Yet, she called him again even though she knew that she was going to get reprimanded for that, she just needed to explain to him that it wasn't her fault, since she knew that once she's inside he wouldn't actually give her any time to explain anything.

But the phone was still in her hand, when she actually stopped in front of their house to see the door wide open, with an angry Kelvin standing outside, waiting for her with his belt already in his hand.

"K..Kelvin, I can.. explain..the traffic…" She tried talking, her fear of Kelvin knew no bounds the day he threw hot water on their neighbors, who tried saving her from his cruel treatments.

She had ended up with a broken ankle, and locked away in the basement for five days, without any food or water from the man who she loved. To be precise, she was now more of a slave than a wife to him, since there's no love towards her anymore but she just couldn't leave him.

"You are late?" Kelvin growled, as she tried explaining further, but he shushed her before beckoning her to come closer.

Diana knew that she should leave the marriage, before she will end up in a body bag, but maybe she's stupid just like her friends have said she was, because hoping that she would be able to change him didn't come to pass yet.

She hoped that definitely that the heavens would smile on her side soon, and give her a baby, so that her nightmare would end.

But when Kelvin grabbed her by her neck, and pushed her against the wall, as she stared into his cold hateful eyes, she knew that the love he has for her, has vanished a long time ago.

"Kel..vin." She choked on her words, while trying to beat his hand off her neck, but he's strong, the perks of being the Captain of the football team in school.

"You will regret this." She heard lastly, before a punch that met her face knocked her out, but not without her knowing that this was nothing but just the beginning.