Who: Roxanne Castillo and NPC!Richard (a narrative). What: Roxy tells her longtime boyfriend that she’s leaving him. He doesn’t take it well. When: Thursday afternoon. Where: Roxy’s (former) apartment, Chicago Warnings: Violence of the domestic variety. Not for the faint of heart. Solid R rating.
She’d made up her mind. Lucas was everything she wanted, and she couldn’t keep denying herself a life with him. She had packed her bags and stashed them under the bed, ready to go as soon as possible. There was one thing she had to do first, though. It terrified her just thinking about it, but she had to tell Richard. This wouldn’t go over well, and she knew it. For the last few days, she’d been doing everything Richard asked. She was trying to make sure that he was in the best mood possible when she finally dropped the news, even if she had still been slipping off to see Lucas. He would be angry, livid even. She was prepared for that that. It didn’t take much to set him off, and this was certain to do it.
Richard didn’t so much as look at her when he returned from work. Unless he needed her, he always ignored her. It was such a change from the way Lucas treated her that she was automatically ruffled. There was no sense in putting this off any longer. She couldn’t live like this, like she was just some stick of furniture or a painting on the wall, another pretty piece in his collection. Taking a deep breath, she followed him in to the living room. He didn’t even glance up. Balling her hands in to fists at the side, she spoke in the most even tone she could manage.
“I’m leaving. I can’t do this anymore. I’m done.”
He did turn then, his brow raised in a look that was so condescending she knew he didn’t believe her. ”No, you’re not.” She was automatically defensive, crossing her arms over her chest and taking a deep breath. She was about to make this a lot harder, but she was tired of lying. “I’m in love with someone else, Richard. I won’t stay with you when he’s waiting for me.”
She saw him cross the room before her head snapped back and everything went white. It took her a few seconds to realize that he’d hit her. Before she could recover, he did it again. ”Are you stupid enough to believe that? To believe that someone else would want you?” He shoved her so hard that she stumbled and went down, rapping her head against the corner of a table, only to be dragged back up by her hair. Everything was spinning, and she could feel warm blood starting to run down the side of her face. ”Unless...did your penniless writer finally come for you? Is that where you’ve been, sneaking off with him? Letting him put his hands on what’s mine?” She couldn’t deny it. When she tried to say something, anything, it came out as little more than a whimper. For half a second she was ten again,and wanted nothing more than to hide in the closet until the man holding her wasn’t angry anymore.
When he made another grab for her she flinched away, but not fast enough. He gripped her chin roughly, turning her face back and forth, like he was examining a cheap piece of art he was about to discard. ”Poor Roxanne. So lovely. So very lovely. I’m going to do you a favor.” He smiled meanly and gave her a hard pat on the cheek. ”We’ll make sure that’s not what he’s after.”
He struck her again hard, with a kind of cold calculation that terrified her. She struggled and cried, but he was so much stronger. Even when she dug her nails in to his arm he didn’t let go. She panicked. It felt like her heart might beat straight out of her chest. She’d promised herself a long time ago that this would never happen again, but there was nothing she could do. She was trapped.
Then, suddenly, even as he raised his hand, it all softened. She knew what was happening, but it almost felt like it was happening to someone else. Satine had taken over, put herself between them. She was in control, and she was taking the worst of it. The other woman wrapped her in the comfort of their mind, shielding Roxanne from as much as she could. Lying on the floor, she didn’t feel the man she loathed shaking her. She didn’t hear him cursing her, claiming that she would never belong to anyone but him. All she heard was quiet singing. ”One day I’ll fly away...”
One last kick connected with her ribs before it stopped. She opened drenched eyes to watch him take her purse, dumping it out before taking a few things. Her phone, her wallet, her keys. She realized, numbly, that he was making sure she couldn’t leave. Or that it wouldn’t be easy for her to leave, at least. Then he disappeared toward the back of the apartment. She didn’t move, not until she heard the shower start running. Of course he wanted to clean up. She knew this was the only chance she would get. If he came back, she didn’t know what he would do. She shivered, and pushed back Satine’s memories. They had to go, now.
It was hard for her to get to her feet. Everything hurt. Satine was there, encouraging her to go, to move faster. Stumbling toward the door, she grabbed her jacket off the hook. As quietly as she could, she pulled the door open and shut it behind her. The moment she was alone in the hallway, she started running. Everything was a blur as she jabbed frantically at the elevator button, willing it to go faster. She kept glancing over his shoulder, expecting him to come down the hall after her at any second, to come after her and drag her back. He didn’t. She made it through the lobby and out on to the street, still running as fast as her feet would carry her. It was freezing, but she didn’t care. A few people looked after her, concerned about a woman who was bleeding and streaming tears, but she hardly noticed them. Her whole focus was on getting to Lucas. As soon as she found him, everything would be all right.