Chapter 1 Prologue

Lia sat by the window sill in the bedroom. Franco had not hit her in a while however the pain that shot through her whole body made it difficult to forget their last fight. The word 'fight' almost made her laugh out. It wasn't exactly a fight. She was no match for Franco. He was about six feet four while she was just five feet six. The difference in their height was very glaring even when she wore her four inches heels.

Looking at the red marks which were gradually fading away made her happy. Her father's birthday would be coming up in two weeks and she did not want questioning stares following her everywhere.

She could easily give the excuse that she was not feeling too well but then that would be bringing up another story entirely as the family would now start to count the days they should be expecting her first child. Their first grandchild actually.

The truth was that though she got married two years ago she had not been able to conceive. She was not sure if there was a problem with her or her husband or if the pain and anxiety she experienced in their union was not helping to welcome any baby into her womb.

The love she had for Franco was nothing she could explain. He meant everything to her from the first day she set her eyes on him. She did not bother holding herself back a bit as she knew deep down that he was the one.

He was the one that she had kept herself for all these years and she worshipped the ground that he walked on.

Nothing he did ever seemed to change that. All the lies and excuses she had to come up with just to ensure people did not start to detest him for what he made her go through from the day they got married.

"I'm okay I missed a step and fell off the stairs."

"I can't take my sunglasses off. I think I'm coming down with some sort of allergy."

"I won't be able to attend your birthday party because Franco and I won't be around." Lia had once told her best friend because Franco her husband had refused her going for her best friend's birthday party. She had been forbidden from going to any party he won't be attending except that of her immediate family. She could not bring herself to tell Sofia the truth.

But today she would be leaving him a letter telling him that she can no longer be with him unless he is willing to change and seek help.

The letter had been written and dropped on their bedroom dressing table.

Lia looked at the table one more time. A beautiful gift from her mother-in-law presented to them on their wedding night. It was brown in colour and without being told it was not hard to see that it had been made from the finest wood.

In the past, she loved to sit there sometimes and talk to herself. Sometimes asking the image that appeared in the mirror questions that she knew only she could answer.

Today she had finally gotten the response and was not thinking of changing her mind.

As Lia continued to let her thoughts linger she got up from the window sill carried her already parked suitcase and walked out of the bedroom door closing it as gently as she could as she did whenever Franco was around and did not want to annoy him with her noise as he once said.

She had sometimes told herself that she will never leave him. This was her home now and she had to build it just as her mother had built hers. Her case was different though. Her father adored her mother.

She had tolerated all that Franco had done to her in the past but yesterday evening she had walked into their bedroom and had caught him stark naked with another lady on their matrimonial bed.

"Get out!" He had barked at her. And when they were finally through he had asked her to prepare dinner for him after seeing the lady off without any sign of remorse whatsoever.

She had obeyed every of his command but had resolved to leave before he got back from work the next day.

She needed some space from this abusive marriage that she found herself in. She needed some space from this place that had once meant everything to her. She was leaving Franco the only man that she had ever loved. But for how long? Maybe for a while. Maybe forever.

As she slipped into the backseat of the taxi already waiting for her outside their magnificent home her thought suddenly shifted to when she met Franco for the first time.