A/N: So I know I have a lot of writing to catch up on, but- this idea was brought to my attention today by someone who holds a dear place in my heart- that I couldn't let pass. I have to warn all my readers before you all read on- you are in for a dark, different, and abusive ride. It is a bit of a slow burn, BUT SwanQueen will also be ENDGAME. To be honest, I will most likely be working more on this story more than my others for the time being. So, for those of you who aren't offended by aged gaps and the summary of this story, you are welcomed to read on! For those of you who are- goodbye. No one is forcing you read it. I don't have a gun pointed at your head saying you should- so with that being said. Enjoy this dark soon to be hopeful and fluffy ride and please, I only ask that you keep your comments to a supportive level. After all, stronger stories have been written, am I right? :) Happy reading my lovelies!
The bathroom mirror was smogged by the heat created from the hot shower Regina took that morning. It whistles softly as her trembling hand smudges across the mirror, creating a clear visual of her reflection that she has come to hate. Her brunette hair hung wetly, a little passed her glistening shoulders. There was a bruise there. Visible. Painful. Like the one that had been coating across her cheekbone for two weeks straight before the summer even began.
Summer. Regina craved summer. Summer had become her favorite part of the year.
It was the only time of the year the beatings would ease up. The only time her face would catch a break and have a chance to look radiant and happy.
Look happy. That thought made her chuckle and shake her head. It had been years since she was truly happy. So many years, that Regina couldn't even remember the true meaning of that damn word.
She couldn't even remember the last time she truly wore a meaningful smile across her lips, and not a damn facade plastered all over her face so that others around her wouldn't even take a second guess at the nightmare that happened behind closed doors of her home.
Or rather… Her husband's home.
Because as far as Regina knew- she- had nothing.
Yes, she lived in a mansion that was big enough to welcome an entire family. But, really it was a home that she wasn't even fond of. It was her husband's, and it had been passed down to him from generation to generation. Yes, she had servants that attended to her every need. But, in the end they would do as he commanded. Yes, she had a Mercedes, which she wasn't even allowed to drive anywhere.
If Regina needed to go anywhere, Sidney would always accompany her.
He was nice, and kind. And he gave Regina a certain confidence and sense of trust that she honestly couldn't feel with anyone inside this house.
Leopold. What was there to say about him that you can't already imagine?
He was the provider. The man. The husband. Regina always found that word humorous around him. Leopold was far from a man, or a husband. Hell. He was far from being a human being.
Regina didn't had never had the experience of an actual relationship before. Nor a marriage. So, why might you ask, was she married to a man that would appear as the perfect husband in and around the public eye, and transform into a monster behind every closed door?
Well. That's a story within its own.
Right now, Regina didn't have time to waste. Her daughter was coming home today from being away at college. Audrey. The only good thing that came out of Regina's marriage. The only good thing that gave her hope that life could take a drastic turn for the better.
Leopold could be a bastard to her, but Audrey was his pride and joy. And he was jumping for joy when he received that phone call telling him that his only daughter would be coming home for the summer.
Apart from summer, she loved it when her daughter would come home, because they would always do everything together. Regina hated paring Audrey with the word distraction, but that's the main thing she looked for every time her daughter would visit them.
Audrey could say she wanted to go shopping with her mother, and Leopold would never deny her of it. Why, she could say she wanted to drive the most expensive car he owned, and she would never hear a no from her father. Unlike Regina… 'No' was a word she had become very familiar with over the years.
'No. That dress is too revealing. I am not being accompanied by my wife when she's looking like a whore in front of millions of people who respect me.'
'No. That shade of lipstick should be worn only in the bedroom. Only for me.'
'No. I married you to have you by my side at all times. A good wife's place is by her husband.'
No. That was another word Regina grew to hate with all her might. No. Who knew such a small word- a two letter word could cause such harm to a person? A woman such as herself.
If she could even call herself a woman to begin with-
Knock, knock, knock. Three feather-like knocks sounded just outside the bathroom door, managing to startle Regina away from her thoughts. They startled her so much, she jumped at any little sound.
"Ma'am? Is everything alright? Mr. White expects you downstairs. Ms. Audrey is due to arrive any minute." It's Sidney's voice outside the door.
Regina sighs to the man's voice in grand relief. Afraid it might've been her husband.
Then again, if it had been her husband- the door would have probably been kicked in right about now, and she would have had a new bruise on her body to add to her collection.
Or a freshly new cut like the one the scar above her right side upper lip represented.
Or another broken rib.
Maybe a broken finger or two.
The list was endless.
Knock, knock, knock. Another three knocks that startled her train of endless thoughts, forcing Regina to look over her shoulder, toward the door this time in pure annoyance.
Why couldn't she be left the hell alone?
"Ms. Regina?" Sidney calls out again and waits patiently.
She had to answer.
"Everything is fine, Sidney. I'm just getting dressed." She pauses, looking back at her horrendous reflection in the mirror with a burning hate in her eyes. Regina could clearly see the bones in her jaw clench before she spoke again. "I'll be down in a minute. Thank you."
Through the mirror, she could see the man's shadow from his feet finally disappear beneath the crack of the bathroom door. She could hear his footsteps become lighter as they echoed farther and farther.
Regina had become really good at identifying and recognizing shadows if she had a really long hard look at them. She knew Leopold's like she knew the back of her hand.
Her hand.
Her hand wouldn't stop fucking shaking.
The brunette closed her hand into a tight fist until she saw her knuckles turn white, before looking at herself in the mirror once more. Get it together, Regina, she told herself. Just get it together. Audrey is coming home. It'll be alright. Everything. Will be. Alright.
If only she believed that.
Shaking her head at herself and her stupid thoughts, Regina was quick to gather up a pair of dress pants (even in this summer heat), and one of her best white dress up shirts. That would do it. No bruises visible, no consequences to pay for later by an enraged husband.
After blow drying her hair, and applying just a touch of her make-up on, she looked at herself in the mirror one last time for the remainder of the day.
'That's too much blush. And too much lipstick for my liking. Who are you trying to impress besides me? Do you think this will make me want to fuck you?'
God, she hated nights like those. It made her want to puke every single time she thought of them.
As if on cue, Regina couldn't help rushing over to the toilet seat of her bathroom and bend over. It didn't take long for their dinner to come up and expose themselves into chunks, swimming along toilet water right before her very eyes.
Her hand grabbed onto her bruised shoulder after feeling the throbbing pain remind her of the beating she was forced to endure last night.
Fucking bastard. She hissed with every hitched and painful breath toward the man so called husband.
Her shoulder wasn't broken. Regina had suffered enough beatings in her lifetime to know and recognize when something was broken.
Sad, right?
Well. That was her life. And she accepted it at the age of sixteen.
That's how old she was when she was forced to marry the monster she was linked to today.
That's right. Regina married Leopold White on the day of her birthday. Three tortuous months of nothing but rough, cold sexual intercourse- fucking rape- is what it took for her to finally give the monster a child. Regina found out she was pregnant three months later, and happily had Audrey within nine months. Which meant, they were days away from sharing the same birthday.
Regina drew in a deep breath before making her way toward the sink and opening the faucet to drink in some water that would rinse her mouth of the bitter taste of throw up before making her way out of the bathroom, bedroom and continuing downstairs.
Of course Leopold was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.
That was nothing new.
He had a habit of waiting for her everywhere she went, and when he wasn't around, he had Sidney wait for her.
He preferred to always be by her side when he 'allowed' her to go out. But, there were times (times Regina was thankful for) where he had to go away on a business trip for work purposes that Regina was forced to spend the day with Sidney.
Sidney was a comfort to Regina compared to her dear husband.
Regina craved and enjoyed the times Leopold had to go away on a business trip.
You know that feeling when you fall utterly in love with someone and hope and pray that the person you fall head over heels for remains undeniably faithful to you?
Yeah- Regina didn't wish that on her marriage.
If anything, she prayed and implored every single God up above that he would find someone better than her. Someone who would know how to satisfy all of his needs to the point of wanting to leave her alone.
She didn't even care if he tossed her out in the street right now with only the four sets of clothing she had on her back.
Regina just wanted a life of her own.
She wanted to be free.
Happy.
That was too much of a big word to fit into her vocabulary.
Happy. That's what she needed to act as right at this moment. She needed to smile and pretend like everything was a fairy tale ending.
What a crock of shit. She chuckled to herself as she made her way down the first set of steps.
The sad reality to it all was… There were no happy endings. No life of her own. No knight in shining armor to come and rescue her. No future to look forward to, expect what she was forced to live in now.
Funny. The pits of blazing hell would feel more comfortable to her right now compared to this.
How sad was that?
Really?
"Took you long enough." Leopold's voice (as always) woke her from her many thoughts, forcing her to be all that she didn't feel she was.
Elegant.
Poise.
Flawless.
A doting wife.
An exceptional mother.
A woman.
Regina hadn't felt like a woman since…
Never.
"I wanted everything to be perfect for Audrey's arrival. That is what you want. Isn't it?" Regina held her chin up high, hoping to throw Leopold off and not have her late arrival become another discussion behind a closed door later.
There was a chuckle mixed with a hum that escaped him, sounding amusing but also quite sarcastic to Regina.
"You're finally learning." He held his head up high, but in a more smug manner that Regina wished she could slap- no- punch her way through.
She hated that smug look on his face.
That look that told her that she was worth nothing. That look that would stare down at her, and step on her like an ant meeting a fucking boot.
She was worth more than that, damn it!
Oh, please. She hissed at herself, waking herself up from whatever fucking dreamland she found herself in. You are nothing. If you were worth more, you would have stood up for yourself, you would have done better. You would run away!
But she was nothing. She felt like nothing. Saw herself as nothing.
Yeah- twenty four (exactly the age of their daughter) would do that to you.
Could you blame her?
As both Leopold and Regina made their way outside, in front of the house, acting and posting like a picture perfect couple, a yellow bug approached. A strange vehicle Regina did not recognize as her daughter's.
What was going on?
At least Leopold and Regina could both agree on the mutual estranged feeling in that moment.
Whoever this was pulling into their driveway with that vehicle the color of a bright new sunshine wasn't their daughter.
Did Audrey buy a new vehicle without alerting them?
What on earth was going on right now?
To both Leopold and Regina's knowledge, their daughter drove a silver Porsche (as it was her father's request to do so).
The yellow bug (which looked a little beat up) parked its way inside the driveway of their home before one door, followed by the other opened up and a familiar face smiled its way toward her doting parents.
"Hi!" Audrey, a slender young woman greeted her parents by rushing toward them on their way out of the yellow Volkswagen in the tightest hug imaginable.
"My sweetheart!" Regina could hear a rich laugh escape Leopold's throat. A rich laughter that was just for show. She knew that well.
Leopold always flaunted himself as being this perfect father to their daughter. And yes, maybe in his own twisted, manipulative way he was.
But he was far from the perfect father. Or perfect husband, at that.
Regina just wished anyone could see what she was going through as clear as day.
But, no one could.
That was her reality.
Time to put on her best fake smile. Because that's all her smiles were now.
"How you've grown!" Leopold smiled genuinely at his daughter as he took a good hard look at her.
"Please! Not by much!" Audrey grinned, pushing herself away from her father's tight-overly protected grasp and finding her way over to her mother's loving motherly embrace. "Hi, mom! Oh, it's so great to see you! How I've missed you guys!"
Regina's eyes couldn't help but close on her as she hugged her daughter- tightly. Even more tightly than Leopold had a moment ago, and judging from Audrey's sudden pull away from her, Regina could only guess that her over-motherly embrace was too obvious.
"Ahem!" It was Leopold's throat clearing that tore mother and daughter apart in an instant. "Audrey- aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?"
"Oh!" Audrey smiled, and in that exact moment that she smiled, Regina's eyes moved over to the blonde girl that was now standing a bit closer to them. With a duffel bag of her own hanging over her shoulder.
Whoever she was, and from what Regina could tell- she didn't quite seem like Audrey's type. She wore tight dark blue jeans, a pair of converse to match them that weren't unkempt to begin with along with an old looking red leather jacket.
"I'm sorry, babe." She smiled kindly toward the blonde girl, who seemed to smile back in an understanding manner before Leopold and Regina's daughter turned her attention back to her parent's. "You guys- this is Emma. She's my girlfriend."
Emphasis on the word 'girlfriend,' Regina could notice that tone well. It was tragically the same tone Leopold used on her when he used the word 'wife.'
And, that made her frown upon meeting Emma for the first time in her life.
Emma approached them with the utmost beat and most beaming smile Regina had ever seen in her entire life. "Mr. and Mrs. White- it's an absolute pleasure. Audrey has told me a great deal about you." She stretched out her hand, which Leopold was firm in shaking first.
Now, you would think that Leopold White was absolutely fine with his daughter to be considered or identified as gay- but truth was- he wasn't. Deep down, Regina knew that he was boiling inside because of the very cause.
Good. This made her mentally smirk with satisfaction. At least this would destroy him in a way.
"Mr. White… Mrs. White…" Emma's soft, strangely tranquil voice broke Regina from her satisfactory thoughts regarding her husband's displeasure. Causing her to rapidly blink and snap back into her harsh reality.
Her eyes stumbling their way upon Emma's gentle and somewhat pained green gaze as the girl was now stretching her hand in greeting toward her direction.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Emma. Emma Swan." The girl politely introduced herself, awaiting the ever so firm handshake of her girlfriend's mother.
A shake Regina wasn't able to deny as her hand stretched out and gripped tightly toward Emma Swan's hand.
Both Emma's green eyes and her own deep brown ones connected in that moment, which to Regina felt like something she hadn't felt in a long time…
Salvation.
