"Hi honey I'm home" came Franks deep voice as he walked through the front door.
"Carla?!" he said, starting to get angry, "CARLA!"
She only heard him when he shouted the second time. "yes honey I'm juts in the shower" she shouted back to him, trying to get him to calm down. She turned off the shower and stepped out, her body black and blue from the beatings, she couldnt bare it anymore. She walked out of the bathroom towel drying her hair, she walked past Frank to go into the bedroom and get changed when he pulled her back towards him by her hair.
"Ow" she cried, "please let go Frank, i was only having a showe because i've booked us a nice romantic meal at the bistro" she said pleading with him to let go of her hair.
"I don't care if you've booked us a fortnight in Paris! How dare you keep me waitinh!" he spat in her face.
Over the past months he had gotten more and more aggressive and beating now was just a regular occurrence.
"Go and get ready then, GO!" he shouted at her making her almost run at the thought of him hitting her again. Two hours later and the two were ready to leave. They walked to the bistro arm in arm looking like the perfect couple on the outside, but in fact nothing on the outside was perfect if you looked close enough, apart from the perfectly shaped bruise that had appearade on Carla's chest, from the night before. Every inch of Carla hurt to move. Before long they were at the bistro.
"hey theres's Michelle and Steve, do you want to go and sit with them?" Carla asked hoping he would say yes so she didnt have to sit across from him alone all night.
"Ok then, lets join them for a change. Do you mind if we sit with you?" he asked walking over to where Michelle and Steve sat. He sounded like the perfect, sweet, caring, loving husband but it was all an act.
"No of course not, sit down" Michelle insisted pointing to the seat opposite her.
The four of them sat and made small talk for a few hours, while eating. Then went through a couple of bottles of wine, well Frank, Michelle and Steve did, Carla didnt feel like drinking, she needed to stay sober because she knew what Frank was like after a couple of drinks. Frank and steve went outside for a 'chat' but Carla knew that Frank had started smoking she could smell it on him.
"Carla what's wrong?" Michelle asked, concerned about her best friend. Michelle hadnt seen Carla properly in weeks, she hadn't even been going into the factory and Carla loved that place. That was what worried Michelle the most.
"Nothing Chelle, why?" Carla asked, not really paying proper attention the conversation.
"I just haven't seen you much recently that's all, just wodnered whether something might be up?" Michelle responded with, boring into Carla. She wasn't herself something was definately wrong and Michelle was becoming more and more concerned by the second.
"Ive not really been well, erm had the flu" Carla said quickly as she saw Frank and Steve make their way over to the table.