Page 1 of Beautiful Life
Prologue
Leigh
“You stupid bitch,” he seethes through his teeth.
I can’t run. I’ve tried to run. To hide, to lock myself away, but it never works and I always wonder if it’s worse when I try. It’s always bad. I have no idea bad could get worse by prolonging the inevitable. What I do know is it’s become inescapable.
It’s become my life.
My life that has turned into a living hell. But not just hell, I think I might take hell over this. My life has turned into something from the deepest, darkest hollows of fire and brimstone. Hades. I think I would settle for hell on Earth as bad as the life I’m living has become.
My body starts to shake—conditioned for what’s to come and, even though I know what’s predestined, instinctively my mind can’t help but to look for an escape. That’s when I miss it. Looking to the side for my next move, I fail to see his hand coming at me square from the side connecting right with my eye.
Shit. That’s harder than normal.
I guess he really didn’t like my news, moving us out of the normal.
“Please, stop. I promise you won’t have to do anything. I won’t even let it affect your life,” I cry, starting to sob. I can’t open my swelling eye and I’m trying to catch my balance.
“A kid? A fucking kid? I told you ‘no’ so many fucking times—even after having to put up with you begging and whining for one,” he spits and I smell the liquor on his breath.
I bring my hand up to my eye and start to turn away when I’m all of a sudden pushed with such strength and absolute brute force that, without being able to do anything to stop myself, I land against the wall in the dining room with my arm taking the initial impact. Like a rag doll, I fall to the ground in pain so acute it almost makes me forget about my eye. I try to roll but my left arm is now useless.
“Is it even mine?” he screams. Leaning down close, he keeps on at the top of his lungs. “Is it even fucking mine, bitch?”
I hear him turn away, his steps moving him toward our bedroom. I try to even my breathing, until I hear him come back again. His steps are quicker this time and I barely get my good eye open enough to see his foot come at me. His slim black patent-leather dress shoe connects directly with my lower abdomen with what feels like all the strength he could muster.
“That’ll teach you not to test me, Leigh. Don’t ever fucking test me again.”
And I feel it.
I know.
Don’t ask me how but I know.
Minutes later after he leaves and I’m alone again, the blood starts to seep out of my body. As it leaks, the emptiness starts to swallow me. It’s been creeping into my life for years. My cries turn to sobs for my baby I wanted so badly to have and to love.
That’s when the desolation eats me alive and swallows me whole.
I’m gone.
Chapter 1 – Changes Are Coming
Late October
Leigh
This mahogany table is enormous. Nine, ten, eleven, twelve … yep, it seats twelve. Not only that, but the chairs are big and comfortable. They’re those really dark leather ones that swivel and rock with armrests. The table is stained dark and I have to concentrate to follow the grain of the wood.
I bring up my good arm, which is really my bad arm since I’m left handed but seeing as my good arm is now casted and hanging in a sling, my bad arm is now my good arm. Of course, he would break my good arm.
Honestly.
I didn’t think it was possible for him to find yet another way to add misery to my miserable life, but he did.
With my bad arm that I’m doing my best to make my good arm, I trace the grain of the wood with my index finger. I’ll do anything to avoid looking up and across the mammoth mahogany table at Preston.
I really need this to be over. I don’t understand why I have to be here today. I thought Mr. Carpino told me he would send the papers for me to sign since he rushed this through, but I got a call this morning saying it was important I attend this meeting. I thought this was going to be quick and easy since I want nothing from him. I never thought I would have to see Preston again, making this even more upsetting. But, here I am, doing my best to concentrate on the woodgrain in front of me so I can ignore everything else going on in front of me.
