PROLOGUE.
PROLOGUE.
~~~~~The Life I Never Got to Choose.~~~~~
The sound of the cane hitting the floor made Justina flinch.
“Don't you even dare walk away from me!” Joshua Roman's voice thundered through the apartment, his face twisted with a rage that no one outside those walls would ever believe he was capable of showing.
But Justina remained standing just near the living room doorway, her hands trembling uncontrollably at her sides. She blinked back the tears burning in her eyes, and her chest tightened as she watched the man she was supposed to marry soon approached her.
To the outside world, Joshua was everything a woman could ever dream of… wealthy, influential, handsome, and born into a family whose name alone opened doors wherever he went.
The annoying part? People admired him. Men envied his status, women wanted his attention, and most families considered themselves fortunate to have connections to the Romans.
But behind that polished image, behind the doors of their apartment, Justina knew the truth.
The man walking towards her was a stranger to the person everyone else believed him to be.
For weeks, Justina had endured his drunken nights, his humiliating remarks about her, and the women he brought to their home as if she never existed.
Justina had swallowed her anger, hidden her tears, and tried to convince herself that if she could endure a little longer, then maybe, things would change, someday.
“I haven't done anything wrong to you, Joshua,” she whispered.
He let out a bitter laugh. “You're still talking back to me?”
“I'm tired,” her voice cracked, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. “I'm tired of being treated as if I'm nothing. I'm tired of watching you bring other women into this apartment while you're still expecting me to behave like the devoted wife I'm supposed to be.”
Joshua's expression darkened. “Oh, so you think you have the right to question anything I do to you?”
“I have the right to be treated like a human being!' The words escaped her before she could stop them, her voice breaking with emotion.”
For one long moment, the apartment went totally silent.
Joshua looked surprised and angry at the same time. “You ungrateful…”
Joshua lunged toward her and Justina tried to step back, but he grabbed her arm before she could escape.
She struggled against his grip, desperately trying to break free, but he only tightened his hold on her arm until pain shot through her skin.
“Let go of me!”
“You should have learned to obey me a long time ago,” his voice echoed through the walls.
He reached for the heavy cane resting against the wall. Justina’s heart lurched.
“Joshua, please…”
The first strike landed before she could even finish that word. Pain exploded through her entire body. Justina stumbled backwards, trying to shield herself, but he struck her again.
Her legs gave way, and she crashed to the floor. “Please,” she whispered once more, struggling to crawl away. “Please, Joshua, stop!” she cried.
But he never listened to her words.
When the final blow struck her head, the room tilted violently as her vision blurred, and her strength drained away completely.
As Justina collapsed onto the floor, darkness instantly crept into the edges of her vision.
Was this really how her life would end?
Justina had spent her whole life obeying other people's decisions. Her grandparents had chosen her future, and her family had handed her over to a man who treated her as if she belonged completely to him.
Now? That same man was taking away the one thing she had never been allowed to control.
Her own life.
A tear slipped down Justina's cheek. She had never known what it meant to be free or been given the chance to choose who she wanted to become.
And now, she was going to die without ever living for herself.
“If I could ever have another chance…”
Justina's fingers twitched weakly against the floor.
“If I ever get another chance at life, I will never allow anyone to make me feel powerless again.”
Her breathing grew shallow.
Darkness swallowed the room as Justina's breathing weakened. Even as consciousness slipped away, one final thought remained.
“I don't want to die like this. I want another chance, a life where I can finally make my own choices.”
Somehow, somewhere beyond the darkness, her wish was about to be granted.
