Chapter 1 Bad Bad Steve

"Ugh I hate you! I hate you! Get away from me",Riley said as she cried bitterly looking over at Steve.Riley and Steve are college sweethearts and have been together for 5years after Riley's breakup with Bryan her childhood boyfriend.Riley would basically do everything Steve tells her to do.One would say she lived to please Steve.What others called torture,she called it love.He was sweet for the first year of their relationship but things went downhill in the second year.

He would bring hookers to their apartment while Riley was away working and when Riley finds out,he would manipulate her into thinking it was her fault."A man needs pleasure",he would say.Riley would constantly be made to sleep in the basement for two days Everytime she says something to offend Steve,she got pregnant around summer but lost the baby because Steve forced her into doing drugs with her.Steve was both emotionally and physically abusive.This time around Riley was finally ready to walk out of the relationship with the little pride she had left and only 30$ to her name.She went inside the bedroom picked only one jeans and a t-shirt and slammed the door on Steve's face."Where do you think you're going you ungrateful bit*ch,well get out,I don't need you anyways".These were Steve's words as he watched Riley through the window. Riley had nowhere to go at that point because her parent's wanted nothing to do with her after they warned her not to get involved with Steve,she was ashamed to go back looking at the condition she was in.Out of nowhere,a mugger grabbed her belongings and went off away with it,she cried her eyes out because the only money she had left was in that same bag,she wiped off her tears and went on.

Blasting the boom box out at her apartment, Riley looked in the mirror in her bedroom and kept shouting the words"Freedom has never felt so good".Today has been 3 years since she left Steve and she couldn't help but feel proud of how far she has come. Ding! Ding! The door bell rang and it was Riley's friend Tessa. Tessa met Riley three years ago on the street shivering on the day she left Steve.She took Riley to a shelter home but came back for her the next morning.She took care of Riley and found her a job to start her life afresh,and for that,Riley was forever grateful.'Hey girl' Riley said as she welcomed Tessa into her home.They opened a bottled of wine and toasted to Riley's 3 years of freedom.Tessa looked at Riley and began to smile."No! No! No!,I know you,I know what you're thinking, that is not going to happen". That was Riley's words as she looked over at Tessa". "But he's a good guy,he loves you just give him a chance" replied Tessa."I never want to love again!Never!".Riley went inside her room and locked the door immediately she said this.Tessa's boss has been after Riley for years and she always refuses his invitation to dinner.Riley had been telling Tessa for long she wasn't ready to get her heart broken again, she can't see herself loving any man ever again.The only thing that was on her mind now was her job and if she ever needed a kid she would go for artificial insemination."Open the door Riley,I'm sorry I won't bring him up again I promise"Tessa assured Riley,and so Riley opened the door and hugged Tessa so tightly,she told Tessa she was sorry for overreacting and the two of them headed out to the spa.