POWER, PASSION AND PROFITS

The abuse continues

The next morning, Robert was on his knees begging and crying that he didn't know what had come over him, and apologizing, promising that it wouldn't happen again. She believed him, as she was trying to convince herself that he truly wouldn't do it again and making all sorts of excuses for him in her mind why he could have treated her that way, even though she kept having this gnawing feeling that she was making a mistake.

Robert didn't stop. He kept at it. Sometimes he would lash out at her with demoralizing remarks that would leave her feeling worthless. Sometimes he would ignore her for days and other times he would not even take her calls or call to know how she was doing and each time he would return to plead and cry for her to forgive him.

She began to undergo emotional, mental and physical torture at his hands. A push here and a slap there until she gradually became a shadow of her own self.

Robert had gradually cut her off from her friends, telling her she didn't need any of them, which made it so easy for him to abuse her without anyone coming to her aid. She had become dull as Robert had gradually made her lose her own self-worth, and she had no one to confide in. She suffered emotionally and physically at the hands of Robert.

She knew she couldn't continue living like this, but she didn't have the courage to stand up to him, and she was scared of him already, as he had threatened to kill her the only time she had the courage to mention that she didn't want the relationship anymore.

Her colleagues at work began to notice a gradual withdrawal into her shell and she began to wear clothes to cover up the bruises on her body and heavy makeup to cover the bruises on her face. When her friends asked her what happened she would lie that she hit her face somewhere or slipped and fell.

This continued until one night when Robert had come home drunk again and as she asked him why he had come home drunk, he lashed out at her in uncontrollable anger. He then pounced on her, hitting her everywhere his hands could find on her body. She cried for help, but help eluded her as Robert kept on assaulting her.

Robert abandoned her on the floor crying her heart out. The pain she felt was excruciating. Her heart was the most hurt as she couldn't, place how Robert had become such a monster, or what she had done to actually deserve this kind of treatment from him. She cried her heart out, and it was at that point she realized that it was over. She can't keep doing this anymore. Can't keep making excuses for someone who was never going to change.

She either had to get out of this relationship or remain and allow Robert to destroy her completely. Who knows, she may not eventually live to tell her side of the story if she stayed on.

That night she finally found the courage to tell herself that it was time to leave, but knowing who Robert was, she knew she didn't dare remain in that city anymore. It was time for her to run before she got out in a body bag.

As soon as it was dawn, she packed just a small bag with the few things she needed. Her whole body was on fire from the pain and every movement she took was an ordeal but she had to push her body to move as she didn't want to be around when Robert returned. Her body couldn't take any more beating.

She walked stealthily towards the door, her heart pounding in her chest. As she opened the door, she looked around, scared that he might just be returning and catch her leaving. After looking around and making sure he was nowhere in sight, she dashed out into the early morning lights that had just begun to cast a soft golden hue on the horizon.

For a moment, strength began to fail her as guilt washed over her that she was walking away from a man she loved in this manner, and she suddenly remembered the beastly look she had seen in his eyes, and she told herself that she wasn't in a love relationship but a toxic one that would swallow her up if she didn't leave now.

With a breath of finality she walked down the road, hailed a taxi. She got in and asked him to take her to a hotel on the outskirts of town. She didn't know where to go yet, but all she knew was that she needed to get away from Robert.

As she checked into the hotel room, she slumped on the bed and was about to doze off when it suddenly hit her — she could return home and ask for her father's protection and with that she allowed herself to finally relax as she knew she was finally free.