Chapter 2

EPOV

The Next Day

Ben was in an extra bad mood today because he bet $200 on a football game today and lost it all. However surprise, surprise it was my entire fault. I just want out of this relationship. I would say marriage but when you get married, you love that person and want to spend forever with them. This is not how I feel anymore. When we got married I was 19 years old and I was so lost, once I found out I couldn't go to my dream college and my mom wasn't talking to me because of my stupid mistake. It was just a friend's kiss. When Maya and I kissed that one time and my mom walked in she kicked me out. I told her it didn't mean anything and I had a boyfriend, she didn't listen. I thought marrying Ben would show her, worst mistake ever. Now I have no contact with my mom, a horrid husband and nothing to do to get me out of this house for the day.

"We got chips?" Ben asked

"No you ate them" I responded half hoping Ben would ask me to go get more.

"Then get your ass to store" He stated and walked out.

I got my coat on and headed to the grocery store again

PPOV

I'm at work and my day is filled with boxes of cans or bags or frozen peas. Luckily I only have about an hour left before I get to split. I see the lady who gave me a ride home yesterday. She is wandering the isle looking for something. I want to talk to her. See if she needs help.

"You need help ma'am" I taped her on the shoulder and she jumped about a foot.

"Oh my Paige you startled me!" She chuckled.

"Sorry" I gave her a sincere smile.

"You need me to help you look for something?" I asked

"Honestly I'm just killing time. I came here for a simple bag of chips," She sighed quietly

"Well we have a wide variety of chips and I would be more than glad to give my opinion on which one's the best" I offered a little hopeful. There's not much fun in stocking shelves.

"Alright but you better not try and sell me anything too gross like frog leg flavored" She laughed her laugh was very beautiful.

We strolled over to the chips and made fun of some of the flavors and talked a little bit.

She was really fun to talk to. It must have been about an hour that we stood in the chip isle together. I don't even know her name. After while she took off to pay and I went back to work. I thought about her for the rest of the day. I hadn't laughed like that in years. Not since my dad died.

After work just like I promised I picked up Lillian and took her to the park. We stayed till it got dark, I pushed her on the swing and we went down the slide. I know she had a lot of fun.

EPOV

I drove home after my trip to grocery store thinking about Paige. She was very easy to talk to. I think she is on the younger side like me. I had a lot of fun. I don't think me and ben have laughed like that since we got married. Ben doesn't know this but I have been stashing money aside for a while now. I want to move out so much. And get a divorce. I know it will be hard and he is going to be so angry so I need to save a lot. So far I have almost $700. But getting an apartment and filling for divorce will cost me closer to $3000.

When I got home the house was quiet. So I walked straight to the kitchen to put the chips away. When I hear hard footsteps coming down the stairs I can tell he is mad. I shouldn't have taken so long.

"Why were you so long Emily?" He huffed

"I wasn't gone that long Ben" I reasoned.

"You were gone for over an hour, what did you find another man? Did you even get the fucking chips like I told you to do?" He was yelling at this point

"Of course I did" I turned around to get them when he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you!" He raised his hand and I knew it was coming. And it did a few hard strikes to the face and my cheek started to sting.

"Now get your ass to our bedroom I have some other stuff planned." He ordered and I knew not to disobey.

PPOV

A Few Days Later

It has been a few days since that other woman has been to the store. It sucks because it was the only fun thing about the day.

I was surprised when she came in. I tried to talk to her but she barely looked at me and turned down a different isle. I could see she was hiding something so I went down the other end of the isle to talk to her and see if she needed any help finding anything.

"Hey you need help again?" I asked stunned when she turned around and had a large purple mark on her cheek.

"No I'm just getting some taco shells" She snagged a bag of shell and took off.

I thought to myself that it was odd and wondered how she got the bruise. I was suddenly tapped on the shoulder. So I turned around quickly and was greeted by a warm smile. It was a girl named Aria. Her brother Mike and I were in the same class together.

"Hey Aria" I greeted her cheerfully.

"Hello Paige, it's been so long" She spoke back.

"Definitely, how is Mike?" I asked

"He's good he joined the army about a year ago"

"That's good I hope he likes it."

"So how do you know Emily?" Aria asked curiously.

"Emily? Do you mean that woman I was just talking to?" I questioned.

"Yeah"

"I don't really know her that well we just talked a few times and she gave me a ride. Usually she's more cheerful and happy"

"Yeah well by the looks of the bruise Ben hasn't been nice the last few day"

"Ben?"

"Yeah that's her husband. It's my understanding he's been real abusive towards her since they got married. We used to be friends back in high school. "

"That's the first time I have seen her with a bruise."

"She doesn't talk to her family much. There are rumors that her mom saw her kiss a friend of hers and kicked her out."

She filled me more about the rumors that followed this Emily girl I had gotten to know a little about these last few days. She told me that back in high school she was team captain of the swim team and had a group of friends. She also told me that the town thinks she married Ben to prove she wasn't a lesbian to her mom. I really hope she's not homophobic because I am a lesbian.

EPOV

I wanted to talk to Paige today at the store when she came up to me. Even though I wasn't going to. But I saw Aria coming. I used to be so close to Aria in high school. I really didn't talk to the girls much after I started hanging out with Maya. I really lost contact with them when I married Ben, in this town God only knows what she's been told. I really didn't want her to see the bruise so I took off fast. I will try to go back tomorrow to see Paige. For now though I will go home and make tacos for Ben and his boss. He will be a doting husband infront of his boss all night. And I shall play the perfect wife. I should come up with in excuse on the bruise.