Under A Glass Sea

Chapter 1

      Awake. Braelynne's eyelids felt too heavy to lift as if the weight of the world was pressing them down. Her eyes were glued shut, crusted over from a night of crying. With a herculean effort, she managed to crack them open. Sunlight streamed in, making her wince. She clamped her eyes shut again, quickly blocking out the light. As she started to drift back to sleep, a sudden thought drifted through the cobwebs in her brain.

Work. 

Her eyes flew open and she glanced over at the clock. The digital numbers glowed dimly in the lit room but she could just make out what it said.

9:30.

"Crap," she thought. Her first massage client was at 11. At this rate, she would barely have time for a shower before she needed to leave. She glanced over at the other side of the bed. The pillow was plump. The sheets were unmussed. A wave of relief washed over her. Seth had surely left for work by now. Or had he even slept here last night? Maybe he had gone to stay with a friend.

Or a lady friend.

She shook her head. Seth had that bad boy persona, that dangerous edge that women found irresistible. That she had found irresistible. The smile bordering on a smirk that seemed to hide a thousand secrets. The moody eyes that had made her stomach tie itself in knots whenever he looked her way. But the thrill had long since faded. That cocktail of excitement and danger had been replaced by the knife-edge of fear that sliced through her whenever he cast his eyes towards her, eyes simmering with resentment and anger. Whenever he spoke to her, his words were like a knife cutting her down with constant criticism. His anger would lead to threats of physical and emotional harm. But worse was the cold words he would say if she dared confront him on his behavior of disrespect and the lies he told. To him, she was worthless, deserving of nothing, required to do his bidding because he felt he owned her. He reminded her that she had no mind of her own, no right to confront him on anything he did. In his house, he was king. After five years of marriage, five years of a rollercoaster ride filled with exuberant highs and devastating lows, she felt worn out and faded. The twenty-five-year-old who had glowed on her wedding day, hardly daring to believe that this handsome and popular man had chosen her out of the dozens of women who were constantly throwing themselves at him, had now turned into a tired thirty-year-old, crushed from the burden of impossible expectations and worn down from the strain of constantly having to look the other way and ignore his abuse. She spent her life walking on eggshells, hoping not to trigger his temper, tolerating the disrespect and cruel words he threw her way. Her wonderful dream had quickly turned into a nightmare. 

Her wedding day had seemed like the start of a wonderful adventure, the key to a life filled with hope and promise. But it was all a mirage. Her marriage was a prison, one she felt she couldn't escape from. The key that held so much hope and promise proved to be her downfall, slamming the prison door and locking her in. At the very beginning of their marriage, Seth quickly laid down his list of conditions. Despite being married, he wanted to maintain his freedom. He openly flirted with other women, raging at her if she dared confront him. He would leave at night, only returning home when he felt like it and lock himself in stony silence. Questions went unanswered or were met with threats. He made it clear he wished he had never married her and if she was anything less than the perfect wife, he would divorce her. She would spend hours cooking meals to have him refuse to eat and dumping it in the trash. He watched her weight, telling her if she got fat, that he would leave her. He took control of their finances, giving her a small allowance that barely covered their grocery bill. He liked making her come and ask him for money, constantly telling her that she spent too much, and telling her she didn't deserve money for clothes or personal items. She had to grovel to get the finances for basic necessities.