Little Dove

Chapter 25

The restaurant owner was his friend, but as the time passed by he started deducting my salary, always finding something out of place or an upset customer to blame. And when I told Tyler he told me that I paid more attention to my book than work and it was a useless distraction.
So I stopped, I did what he told me, I focused solely on work and he seemed proud of me and I was happy.

Everything was good until one day he came home drunk...he reeked of alcohol and when I tried to get him to drink water he refused, that day I saw raw lust and hunger in his eyes and I was never afraid of him till then..

He backed me up against a wall, forcefully kissing my mouth, causing that glass of water to drop out of my grasp and shatter against the floor. I tried...I tried to push him off and when I succeeded I was too scared, too panicked that my hand went flying across his face, on its own. His eyes only darkened as he stalked closer "You bitch!" he roared and I felt a tight slap on my cheek, making me drop on the broken glass and my cries broke out.
It was only at the sight of my blood that his eyes went wide and realization sat in..

He tended to my wounds and held me tighter in his arms that night, he kept apologizing over and over, guilt was evident in his eyes every time he apologized. He bought me gifts, cards, chocolates, he took me out on several dates to make up for it and I had forgiven him but the fear still lingered at the back of my brain, every time his voice got higher I'd flinch and the same guilt would take over his features.
Three weeks went by and we were back to normal, we were happy. I was getting ready for our first valentine date night when I heard the bell ring, I thought he was back early so I rushed towards the door and swung it open, just to find a box of chocolate resting next to a breathtaking bouquet of daisies.

My heart warmed at the sight and I picked it up and peeked around the house but found no one so I went back inside.
Taking a picture I sent it to Tyler and thanked him. But his reply chilled my bones.
The flowers and chocolate weren't from him, he was stuck at work and never sent these. It was maybe delivered to the wrong address, I thought and dismissed the panic.
But Tyler was rigid all night, he shouted at anyone and everyone on sight and everything I said set him off, I knew what was on his mind and when I tried to assure him that the flowers probably belonged to someone else, he burst out.

He grabbed me by my arm and dragged me out of the restaurant, my pleas were hollow in front of him and I could smell alcohol in his breath and my blood ran cold.
When we got home he locked me up in the store room, knowing my fear of confined places, he was teaching me a lesson, punishing me for something I'd never do..
The next day when he let me out I expected to witness some sort of guilt on his face but it was blank and annoyed, he wasn't sorry for what he had done to me, he didn't even apologize.
We didn't talk for a week straight till his friends came to the restaurant I worked at, they knew who I was and only requested me to serve them.

"I heard you fuck with whoever looks at you" one of his friends commented and I felt disgusted, but I had to ignore their perverted gazes and touches as I went by them.
Things only went west from there on...Tyler became more aggressive as the days went on, he started locking me up in the closet room while I could hear moaning coming from our room...of him with another woman..
I cried day and night and I knew he heard me...he just didn't care.

I reached a point where I finally had enough savings and had the courage to break up with him..
That day is still marked on my body..
One morning I went to end things with him while he was carelessly smoking with a naked woman sprawled on my bed. Tears stung my eyes but I held myself together and kept a stone face.
He threw me one bored look before breaking into a fit of laughter, his eyes held no warmth, no security, no humanity.