Chapter 1 1

Prologue

You know you have hit rock bottom when you discover the true meaning of the word vulnerability. It is an experience not to be recommended. It kills your emotions and destroys your strength.

It makes you unable to react, unable to move.

To protect himself.

This is what Valentina, or rather Tina, discovered as she struggled to stand in front of her bathroom mirror. She rested her hands on the cold countertop and groaned in pain as her shoulder swelled.

His face was free of bruises; according to him, Axel, it was the most beautiful he had ever seen and did not deserve bruises. However, he didn't say the same thing about the rest of his body.

He did not hesitate to hurt her, as many times as it took to demonstrate his strength. His violent masculinity over her fragile femininity. Axel had turned into a monster. He was not the same person she had met six months ago. The gentle man who approached her in a bar, who made her laugh all night and in the end, stole a kiss from her.

It was someone else, Valentina thought with her heart tightening in her chest.

The big discovery was that monsters didn't hide in closets or under beds. They were out there, with good looks and easy smiles, ready to destroy your world. All to show themselves big, unshakable, ferocious... and cruel.

Axel made no effort to try to destroy her self-esteem. He insulted and offended her every time she opened her mouth. He diminished her. Valentina tried to be resistant, to tell herself that she was nothing like he claimed.

However, after so many days of fighting alone, she began to weaken. To believe that she was an ugly woman, despite the face he loved so much. Only he could like it. She wasn't as smart as she used to be. Or as good. Or kind. And many other statements that weighed on his shoulders.

Dumb, useless, stupid, slutty, words that took away all confidence. It diminished you and left a void the size of the world in your chest. The humiliation forced you to be submissive, to ignore and accept everything without question.

Without fighting.

Without fighting.

Without a voice.

No freedom.

The monster dominated her, forcing her to believe that it would never hurt her again. That this was the last time. He didn't mean it. He didn't mean to, he regretted it, and he would never repeat that vile act... Until the next explosion of rage.

No need to be alone, Valentina told herself. She had an incredible family, they would help her. But how would she tell all that? That in a few months she had allowed herself to succumb to all the physical and psychological violence Axel was subjecting her to. It was so shameful, she thought with immense regret.

She didn't have the courage.

However, looking at her now thinner and wounded body. She realized that she had to fight. She had to do something.

Anything!

Or Axel would end up killing her.

That was the last time he hit her, at least, that's what Valentina wanted to believe. She was firm in kicking him out of her house, out of her life. Axel even left, but not before hurting her once more. Of taking her body without her permission, of humiliating her with his brute force.

He left with the promise that he would return.

Valentina needed to fight.

Valentina

I hadn't seen Axel for days, a fact that made me more afraid than relieved. His silence didn't seem very good, my skin would get goose bumps every time I stepped out into the street with the terrible feeling of being followed.

He was close by, I was sure of it.

This motivated me to protect myself. I changed the locks on my apartment and begged the landlord to change the locks at the entrance of the building. I made up a story that I had been robbed and lost my keys when my purse was stolen. He, thank the good Lord, believed me and rushed to change everything.

I was immensely grateful, however, still paranoid, I asked the locksmith to reinforce all my windows. I lived on the second floor and I didn't even like to imagine the countless possibilities Axel would have to get in there without my permission.

I was struggling, at least trying. Even after he took me to the bottom, I held my head up in an attempt to survive that terrible phase.

It was my life, not his, so I couldn't give up.

I got out of bed before the clock woke up, two months ago I got a new job and was very satisfied with the sensations that this job gave me. Wanting to work was one of the reasons for Axel's aggressions, but after almost breaking me in half, he allowed it as if he had the right to have an opinion.

I studied hard to have a professional career and now I had the opportunity to build it. The job saved me. It showed me that I was capable, competent and strong...okay, not that strong. But it pulled me out of the hole that was sinking faster and faster.

The continuous fights with Axel contradicted everything I experienced in my office hours. It gave me the courage to end that frayed relationship.

Now, my body didn't have so many marks from his last aggression, and although I enjoyed seeing my skin returning to normal, the feeling that that hell had not come to an end was seeping into my chest.

I took a long shower, trying to relax and ease the pain from my still injured shoulder. I got ready for work, taking care to leave the yellowish stains hidden.

To leave the house, I practically ran to the elevator. I used to use the stairs before, but nowadays I feel more protected inside the small metal box. I smiled with relief when I saw the residents of the building inside, I always tried to keep people around me, it gave me a false sense of security.

I mumbled a good morning to them and waited for the doors to close. We got out in the garage and each went to his car. I looked from one side to the other, looking for Axel and afraid that he had managed to enter the building.

I ran to my vehicle, started it up and sped away as fast as I could. The employee parking lot was outside the company, which made my skin freeze with fear. I needed a few minutes in the protection of my car before I could cross the entire site and enter Daslow Global, an import-export company where I managed a department.

My degree in Business Administration and training in International Relations gave me great opportunities. And all this I had my father to thank for. The stubborn ex-military man, retired from the Navy, never spared any effort to keep me studying.