A/N: Chapter 7! It's a little short, I'm afraid.

Once again, sorry for the slight delay. Finals week… Ugh.

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Chapter Seven – Patricia LaCosta

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Sinjin was Patty's first husband.

And her last.

But not in the same marriage.

Their first time as a married couple, they were extremely happy.

Although, that may have had something to due with the large amount of alcohol consumed that night.

Whether it was love or booze, they worked pretty well. For a while, at least.

After a few months together in L.A., Patty's show career and Sinjin's newly revealed drug problem began to take its toll on them. Both of them began staying out later and later.

And sometimes they didn't even come home at all.

Eventually, Patty couldn't take his issues anymore. He was a drug addict, and she couldn't hide herself from that fact, as much as she had tried.

So she left him.

She had two husbands after that.

But John was a rebound.

And Sergio?

Well, he was the rebound of the rebound, if that makes any sense.

After her third divorce, she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to get married again. It was too much of a hassle. She'd always been one to watch cheesy chick flicks and believe in true love, but now she wasn't so sure if 'the one' really existed.

Maybe it was just one of those Hallmark-esqe things, created for fantasy and imagination.

But when Sinjin came crawling back to her, she forgot all about her new 'no men' policy.

He claimed he'd been through rehab. He claimed he was done with drugs. He claimed he was willing to commit.

He claimed he'd changed.

And she believed him.

Looking back, she can see it was a foolish choice. One made by a young woman desperate for love.

But she couldn't help herself.

This time around, despite Sinjin's supposed transformation, things were worse.

His drug problem resurfaced, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. There was so much more waiting to be revealed.

He began drinking, coming home in intoxicated rages. He began to hit her nightly, leaving large purple bruises on her arms and face. He would yell at her; call her names and accuse her of cheating when they both knew that it was him who was being unfaithful.

Patty had to spend a lot on make-up to keep up her showbiz career. Most of her friends could tell what she was going through, but they turned the other cheek.

They knew she was strong. They knew she'd know when to hightail it out of there.

But somehow Patty couldn't leave him.

Because she knew that under that tough, drunk skin of his, the real Sinjin was in there somewhere. The man she'd fallen in love with all those years ago was still there, she knew it.

And she had the crazy, farfetched hope that somehow she'd see the old Sinjin again.

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To Be Continued…