A pink package (On Hold)

Chapter 1 - A new dawn

Walking out of the court room, Rafaella couldn't believe it was over, the scent of freedom that filled her lungs overcame any sense of rejection she felt on seeing that he brought her to court. The audacity he had to bring his girlfriend to his divorce hearing, the girl that Rafaella has once considered a friend. He had no shame that she had to literally buy her freedom.

As Rafaella headed to her car, she realized that after a year of fighting, the battle was finally won. She may have lost so much along the way, but the ultimate victory was hers, and she rejoiced in it. She sat in the car for a while, crying for the loss of what could have been, crying in relief that she would never have to face the abuse, humiliation, and loneliness she felt in her marriage ever again.

It's said that the worst wounds are those that cannot be seen. The ones on your soul. Rafaella has had those wounds too. Wounds caused by abuse, betrayal and lies; wounds that manifested in gut wrenching sobs; and wounds that left her soul broken.

But they have healed. It was a slow ride but now she is at the end of the journey that resulted in scars mixed with fear, regret, and anger. Scars that linger with a dull throb of pain; an echo of the soul crushing pain that caused it.

After a few moments to herself, she dialled her mum and put it on speaker, reversing out of the parking.

Her mother answered on the first ring and Rafaella knew she must have been waiting for the call. Rafaella smiled as she told her mum that the judge declared the divorce final. She kept her voice light, hiding the pain that she still felt despite knowing it was for the best.

She didn't want her mum to worry as she knew she would if she figured out that Rafaella was anything less than ecstatic. She would worry that Rafaella would go back to the hell of her marital home, that her baby would get sucked in again. The truth is although Rafaella felt pain, it was for the loss of a fantasy; the reality was a horror of daily tears. And Rafaella promised herself that she would never go back.

More details was exchanged before finally hanging up. The drive home was long and slow, traffic at a near standstill. It gave Rafaella plenty of time to reflect and sort through her emotions; to gather her strength and remind herself that she is strong. As she drove further and further away from the court, she felt herself leaving all the hurt behind.

This is the closing of a chapter that nearly ruined her, but she emerged a warrior.

Rafaella felt like a new person as she parked the car in her spot and took the elevator to their apartment. Upon opening the front door, she was engulfed by a hug from her roommate, Chloe. Despite knowing Chloe for only a year after Rafaella's parents helped her find a place to stay closer to campus, they were extremely close.

Chloe supported Rafaella through tough times, offering comfort and guidance. It was a time where Rafaella's nights were plagued with nightmares of the scarier parts of her marriage, some true, some hugely exaggerated, and she often woke screaming or sobbing. Chloe comforted her throughout those nights, wiping her tears away and reminding her that she was not alone. During the day, Rafaella struggled with restlessness and struggled to stay focused on her coursework, but Chloe kept her on track and helped her study. They would stay up till early hours of the morning so that Chloe could teach Rafaella whenever she missed classes because of the divorce proceedings. Chloe ensured that her friend never forgot she deserved happiness and she constantly reminded her that none of this was her fault and that Rafaella had to work for her bright future. Chloe was like a pillar of strength for Rafaella, helping her navigate through difficult times and providing unwavering support until Rafaella was strong enough to be her own pillar of strength.

They were both in their final year of an undergraduate degree in Accounting and hoped to be Chartered Accountants one day. Next year, they were both going to pursue a postgraduate qualification in Accounting, and it was going to be an extremely challenging year. They just wanted to enjoy their vacation before facing that.

Chloe had chosen to stay back for a week after finals to support Rafaella as the final hearing approached. Tomorrow, they would both leave for Rafaella's family home in Clifton Beach which was an hour away.

Their results would be released in one week's time, and if either of them had any supplementary examinations, they would return to the apartment to take them. They planned on spending the majority of the vacation together. However, Chloe would go to Durban for a week or two during Christmas to meet her family.

Chloe wasn't close to her parents, or her one older brother. Her family life was troubled at best and she did her best to avoid contact with them, not that she could be blamed. Her parents were money driven, and hardly had time for her growing up. Her brother followed in their footsteps and the large age gap between them meant they that they had little in common.

In a large way, in the past year, the two became family; the vacations and odd weekends Rafaella went home, Chloe often joined her, and Rafaella's parents were overjoyed at having another daughter.

They spent a quite supper of Chinese takeaway discussing the events of the day. Chloe being hilarious as she commended her friend's bravado at speaking up. She asked a billion questions, wanting to know everything from whether Rafaella's makeup was on point, to the pitch of her voice when she stood in the witness box. Rafaella indulged her and told her everything she wanted to know. The two had become very close and Chloe just wanted to be assured that her friend was okay.

After a while, they each retired to their rooms to complete their packing.

Tomorrow will be a new dawn; the light of the day will bring a new beginning. One that will overpower the darkness of the past three years.

AN

This story is really close to my heart... please don't be a silent reader.

The song at the beginning used to be one I would listen to on repeat. Alexandra Kay is my all time favorite. Let me know what you think.

See you in a few days

Xoxo
ELLA