Love Beyond Time

Chapter 2

Realizing this was the end of my marriage and leaving him would essentially be the end to the life I've ever known. But I knew I couldn't stay with him any longer.

Feeling disappointed, heartbroken, betrayed everything that was typical after finding out the man you were in love with who vowed to love and protect you has done nothing but the exact opposite. Fooling you into thinking you were an unloveable burden. Wondering if any part of our relationship was real or if all the nice things he's ever said to me was just a way to keep me from leaving sooner.

For years no one knew how unhappy and lonely I truly was. They all saw the facade I had mastered for years. Attending parties and work functions with our friends. My mother and siblings who thought they knew me inside and out but did not know absolutely anything of my life.

Everyone thought I was the luckiest woman in the world for marrying one of the most successful, attractive men in all of New York.

But I knew with me gone he would have a whole line of women waiting for him to move onto. To flirt and charm and to give them the time of day when I was officially out of the way.

Everyone saw our marriage as the epitome of a perfect marriage especially because many knew me as a hopeless romantic and how I wouldn't settle for anything less. Although I preferred the term 'hopeful romantic'.

Maybe that's why I wasn't as distraught about the idea of leaving him as much as I thought I would be. Because deep down I knew this was a long time coming. I just didn't have the strength to leave before now.

"You look upset. What is it? Something you ate?" Eric's voice startled me. I hadn't even heard him come back into the room. "Or are you worried what your punishment will be?" Eric asked his words more threatening than his tone.

I pushed the dinner plate away, suddenly feeling sick and losing my appetite. "I don't care what you do anymore." I said in a flat voice barely above a whisper. "We'll see about that."

"Charlotte, you alright?" One of my colleagues asked me as I stood in front of the familiar nurses asked me. "Oh, this?" I laughed off the bruise Eric gave me the other night. Apparently I hadn't applied enough makeup on this morning as it began to fade as the day grew.

"I opened my car door into my face. Stupid right?" I gently brought my fingertips to my eye, unable to look anyone in the eye. I continued to fill out my patient's chart as some other nurses typed on computers when they weren't being called away to aid a patient.

Thankfully the red hand marks on my neck had faded completely which was easy to hide with my hair and more makeup. Lately Eric has been more physically abusive than ever knowing how unhappy I was. Somehow he thought it would keep me in place and keep me from leaving him. If he only knew it was beginning to do the opposite.

I had been going through dozens of bottles of foundation and powders over these past few months trying to conceal any evidence of what was truly happening to me.

"Eric always complains about how clumsy I am." I smiled, finally meeting my eyes with her concerned ones. She gave a weak smile thankfully letting it go.

"Paging Dr. Charlotte Goodwin to the E.R." One of the nurses called for me overhead. I fought the urge to cringe at sharing Eric's last name.

Silently grateful at the opportunity to leave the nosey nurses side eyes and concerned glances. While also taking not to apply more makeup later at the next opportunity I had.

Taking off my blue scrub cap as I came out from performing a minor surgery. Running my hand down my face in exhaustion as I walked through the hospital. "Do you want to get dinner later?" Eric said into my ear, startling me.