She had thought she'd at least get a few quiet hours to herself, to cry, to feel, to let out all the pain bottled up inside her, before finally putting an end to everything.

But who would’ve thought he would actually find her?

Abby’s heart skipped a beat when she saw him, Kelvin.

He stood at a distance, his tall frame menacing under the fading light, his eyes sharp like knives.

A strange, naive spark of hope flickered in her chest.

Maybe… maybe he’d come because he was finally sorry.

Maybe he missed her.

Maybe he realized he couldn’t live without her.

For a second, she even dared to believe the impossible. She got up slowly, her legs were still weak, but her heart was foolishly steady. Her lips trembled as she whispered, “Kelvin…”

She reached out a hand toward him, like someone grasping at a dream, desperate for comfort, for love, for something real.

But the moment he was close enough, everything shattered.

Kelvin didn’t wrap her in an embrace.

He grabbed her arms, roughly, dragging her closer with a force that made her knees wobble.

His face was inches from hers, eyes filled with pure rage.

“Where the fuck were you?!” he shouted, his voice so loud it echoed through the empty park.

Abby gasped, startled, her fragile body beginning to shake. “P-please… let go. "You’re hurting me,” she whimpered, trying to pull away from his painful grip.

But Kelvin didn’t loosen up. If anything, his grip only grew tighter.

“Where the hell did you run off to, huh? "I came home, and you were gone!” he barked, eyes wild. I searched everywhere, EVERYWHERE! And then I found out you had gone to your parents' house.”

His face twisted in fury. “You went to report me again, didn’t you?!”

Abby froze, her lips parting.

She almost nodded.

But then quickly shook her head, terrified. “No… no, I didn’t,” she whispered.

Kelvin’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Don’t lie to me, Abby.”

He yanked her closer, so close she could feel his breath on her bruised cheek.

“I swear, I’m telling the truth,” she pleaded, her voice shaking as tears filled her eyes.

But Kelvin wasn’t convinced.

His nostrils flared, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like he was holding back a scream.

“Oh, really?” he growled, his grip now digging painfully into her skin. Because they told me exactly what you said. "They told me how you cried and whined like a fucking victim!”

“They told me everything, you whore!”

Abby gasped at the word, the slap of it hitting harder than any of his fists ever did.

She looked into his eyes, and at that moment, she didn’t see a husband.

She saw a monster.

Abby shook her head again, the small feeling of hope she had fading.

He didn’t love her, he didn't care for her at all.

“Please Kelvin, let go of me” Kelvin instead did the opposite, pressing her hand even tighter.

Abby didn't want to, but she couldn't take it anymore and she screamed. “Kelvin please!”

If the man held her hand any tighter, it was going to snap into two.

“You heard her, let her go”, a cold voice said behind them.

Both Abby and Kelvin turned around. Abby's eyes widened. 

It was the handsome stranger from earlier.

Robert wanted to leave. He had already left. But then he turned around only to see that the lady from before was being held by a man and, from the looks of it, it wasn’t voluntary.

He knew he just had to help her.

“Who the fuck are you?” Kelvin growled, his eyes glaring at Robert.

“This woman here is my wife, so I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

Robert blinked.

His wife?

Were they married? Now he was beginning to understand the bruises he had seen on her body earlier.

“That doesn't mean you can grab her like that, especially if she doesn't want to go”, Robert argued.

He glanced at the woman. Abby had tears in her hallow eyes, but they still held surprise in them, they still held panic in them.

She was surprised someone was helping her. Someone like him.

“Oh….” Kelvin suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. “I get it now”. He nodded as he turned towards Abby, releasing his hold on her.

Abby held her hand with the second one, massaging the place where Kelvin held it.

It was really about to break.

“You're back at it, aren’t you? "Luring innocent men into your cage, you fucking whore!” Before Robert and Abby could realize what was happening, Kelvin raised his hand and gave Abby a sharp slap.

“Pa!” Abby's face flung to the side and tears dropped.

“What the fuck man!” Robert yelled, stunned by the scene he had just seen.

He suddenly felt protective, moving to stand between Kelvin and Abby. But his actions only got Kelvin even angrier.

He clenched his teeth, glaring at Robert,“ Stay out of this”.

“Leave.” Robert breathed out. It was taking every ounce of self-control he had not to pounce on this man right here and now, and if he started, there was a huge possibility that he was going to kill him.

“Leave?” Kelvin repeated with a scoff. “Didn't I say she's my wife?” 

“You should be grateful to me for saving you from this whore before she completely ruins your life.” 

If it was in any other situation, Robert would have laughed. It would have been hilarious to just listen to the man speak rubbish. 

But this wasn’t funny.  At least for now it wasn’t.

“I don't want to hurt you, but you're pushing me.” He said calmly, taking a step towards Kelvin. 

“Get the fuck out of here now, or else I'll…”

Robert was interrupted by the sound of something falling…. Not something, actually someone.

“Abby!” Kelvin yelled quickly, reaching forward to grab her, but Robert was faster.

He knelt beside her, gently tapping her face. “Hey…. Hey..” She wasn't responding. 

Her body….. Her body was cold.

Robert took out his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. “Get the car here”, he said before ending the call.

Without throwing the man behind him a second glance, he gently placed his hand around her, lifting her.

“What the….” Kelvin was surprised. “Hey! That's my wife!” 

She was his, truly, but Robert wasn’t ready to risk the life of the lady in front of him for the monster he was seeing.

He wanted to run after them, but three cars suddenly appeared, surrounding them. Several men in black came out of the cars, each bowing towards the stranger who was holding his wife.

“What the hell…” He attempted to follow the man, only to be blocked by two of those men.

Their faces were stern. It was obvious to him that starting a fight with them would be deadly. So he did the only thing he could: yell.

“Give me back my wife!” 

Robert heard him, but didn’t care. He gently placed Abby in the back seat, then closed the door and went around to sit on the other side.

“Drive fast”, he motioned to the driver, who nodded.

All through the entire ride, he felt his heart beating loudly in his chest….. Something that had never happened before, because of a woman.

She was a stranger to him, yet he felt like he needed to help her. 

As soon as the car came to a halt at the mansion, he carried Abby again, gently walking with her in his arms as if she weighed nothing.

Or maybe she did.

Robert placed her on his bed before immediately calling the doctor to attend to her.

“I need a drink” he said to himself after watching her for a while.

He had just got off the phone with his doctor, he was going to take a few minutes.

Robert walked towards his kitchen to pour himself a drink, his head still clouded by the woman in his bedroom. 

She was beautiful, even with the bruises he could see that. What he couldn't understand was why anyone would bother to call her a whore…..and not just anyone, a man that was supposedly her husband. 

She wasn't his business. But there was this look in her eyes that made him want to be hers.

“This is messed up.” He sighed, drinking the remaining contents in the glass in one gulp.

He then turned around, only to be surprised.

The woman he left on the bed was standing right there.

“Er…” He took a step back in astonishment. “Abby right? Are you okay?”

The lady smiled, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, but it was scary all the same. He’d tried to figure out what was really going on.  “My name isn't Abby… she is not here”.

Robert became confused. “What are you…” 

“My name is Barbie”.

Her eyes shot wide open.

And then she saw who it was…