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“Stop! Lloyd, please stop!”

But Lloyd didn’t stop. I pushed and kicked to stop him, but he was too strong. Lloyd held my arms down with his one hand while he straddled my legs.

“I’m taking what’s mine tonight, Savannah. After everything I’ve done for you, this is the bare minimum you can do to repay me.”

I cried as he pushed his pants down, pulling his penis out as he flipped me over onto my back. Kicking, I tried to wiggle away, but Lloyd pinned me down to the bed. He spit in his hand, using it to lube himself before he shoved his penis inside of me. I screamed as the searing pain ripped through my body. Lloyd leaned down and whispered in my ear.

“You are fucking mine, Savannah Brooks.”

Fouryearslater,

It was late, and Lloyd still wasn’t home. This was our nightly routine. Lloyd went to the university while I stayed home. I had tried to go to the local community college, but Mama was getting sicker and I couldn’t keep up with the work and taking care of her at the same time.

She also didn’t know the extent of what Lloyd had done to me and was still head over heels for him. It made my heart sing with joy to see my mama so happy and carefree, but the cost was my freedom and sanity. My soul was slowly withering away as my relationship with Lloyd continued on, but my mama was taken care of for once in her life...

They blacklisted me in the whole town after I went to the police and told them he raped me. None of them believed that the golden boy could do any wrong. Especially not with someone like me, just another girl from the wrong side of town. Plus, his daddy had friends in high places. It was mind blowing to see how money could make people turn their heads.

Despite all of that, I still ended up back with him. I refused to speak to him for quite a bit, but Lloyd didn’t give up. He sent flowers, gifts, cards, even a car! I sent them all back, but he just kept sending them to my house. Lloyd would show up at the diner with flowers, begging for me to just talk to him.

He promised he had changed, that he wasn’t going to drink anymore. I agreed to sit and have coffee with him after he begged me while I was working. I said yes just to get him out of the diner before I got fired.

Lloyd had an entire plan laid out on how he was going to change and be a better man for me. He even gave me a promise ring to show that he was serious about our relationship. After much deliberation, I agreed to take things slowly with him. Lloyd was ecstatic and promised over and over that things would be different, that being away from me showed him how he was turning into his father.

Knowing that he dealt with his own toxic family, I foolishly let it blind me. I thought maybe we could break free from this town, forge our own fresh path. But I was severely wrong.

Things were great for the first year we were back together. We had moved in together so we could spend more time with just the two of us, really working on our relationship for the future. Lloyd even went to alcoholic anonymous meetings to prove he was going to be a better man. He was staying sober and our relationship was getting stronger.

But I was foolish to think Lloyd would change. That sinister side of him clawed out of his soul, bringing a dark cloud over our happy life. Lloyd showed up at the local college when I had classes, waiting for me outside my classroom, accusing me of cheating with my classmates. But it didn’t stop there; he threatened all the guys in my class to stay away from me, even going as far as threatening my teacher! All while, he was using my classes as his own personal dating pool. I knew he was cheating on me, but couldn’t find the proof. I knew in my heart that my sweet Lloyd had gone to the devil once again.

To top it off, mama got really sick, forcing me to drop out so I could take care of her. I didn’t mind, though. Mama had put her whole life on hold when she had me, so it was the least I could do for her. I spent more time at my old house with her, which led to Lloyd getting upset that I wasn’t spending more time with him. He claimed I was tearing our relationship apart, that I was pushing him away and being selfish.

Lloyd pushed for a nursing home, but I refused. I wanted to be the one to take care of her, be there for my mama like she was always there for me. But somehow, he had me believing that my help was just making her worse.‘You’re not a nurse, Savannah.’ ‘Do you even know what you’re doing?’ ‘That homeopathic shit isn’t going to help.’

He convinced me to send her to one of the best nursing homes in our area to receive proper care. I knew it was the right thing to do for her health, but it didn’t stop the heartbreak at all.

As I moved her into the nursing home, it hit me; my mama wasn’t going to be around much longer. I knew the nursing home would take care of her, but the cancer was moving fast. All we could do was hope and pray that the treatments would keep her alive a little longer.

Tonight, Lloyd was celebrating his graduation from college and a job offer from none other than his father, Eckhart Lloyd Wiedermann. They were having a party at the cigar club in the next town over;men only, Savannah. I knew there would be women there. Gorgeous women purely there for entertainment. Busty women that Lloyd would take out back for a ‘private dance.’ It made my blood boil, but it wasn’t worth fighting over.

Lloyd would now work at the bank, giving out loans and whatever other shady business they did there. All while I was stuck being a dutiful housewife, minus the ring. His father refused to approve of our relationship despite being with him for six years. All his little lies about not caring what his father thought were slowly unraveling.

I laid my head down to rest when the phone rang. I picked it up when I saw it was my mother’s nursing home.

“Hey, Savannah. This is nurse Lulu. Can you please come down here? Your mama isn’t doing too well…”

“Of course. I’m on my way now.”

I hung up and ran to grab the keys and my shoes. Rushing to the nursing home, I made it just before my mama passed away. The cancer had torn her body apart throughout the years. I cried all the way home as I drove down the dirt roads. Quite a few times, I had to pull over because the tears were too much. My body shook as the cries became worse. Grief encased my heart, making me numb to everything else around me.

As I pulled into the garage, I could see Lloyd standing in the doorway. He had an angry scowl on his face, and I knew it was going to be another long night. My heart cried out, wanting to grieve in silence. But my mind knew that wasn’t possible. There was no turning back now.

I pushed past him as I ran up the steps. He followed close behind me and glared as I changed into pajamas.

“Where the fuck were you?”

“Nursing home. Mama passed away tonight.”

Lloyd dropped his arms and walked toward me. He wrapped them around me and stroked my back.

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