Instead, she became a woman who checked the hallway before leaving her bedroom, rehearsed ordinary conversations in her head, and wore clothes that covered her skin even during the hottest summer days.
She became skilled at explaining away injuries.
A bruise from bumping into a cabinet.
A strained shoulder from carrying groceries.
A painful collarbone from an unfortunate fall.
Eventually, even she began to hate how easily the lies came out of her mouth.
The hardest part was not that Nathan hurt her.
It was that he had convinced her to help him hide it.
2. The Night Grace Finally Left
The final incident happened on a Thursday evening.
Grace had been speaking to her younger sister, Lily, on the phone when Nathan walked into the kitchen.
He had told Grace many times that Lily was a bad influence. He disliked how freely Grace spoke to her sister and how often Lily encouraged her to make independent decisions.
When Nathan heard Grace mention that she might visit Lily the following weekend, his expression changed.
He waited until she ended the call.
“Where are you going?”
“Just to see Lily for a day or two.”
“I didn’t agree to that.”
Grace stared at him.
“I don’t need permission to see my sister.”
The words came out before she could stop them.
Nathan stepped closer.
“What did you just say?”
For the first time in months, Grace didn’t immediately apologize.
That silence enraged him.
He grabbed her arm. When she tried to pull away, he shoved her against the kitchen counter.
The edge struck her near the collarbone.
Pain shot through her shoulder.
Grace gasped and clutched the counter to keep herself upright.
Nathan stood in front of her, breathing heavily.
Then, as if he had suddenly remembered that his actions had consequences, his expression changed.
