1 At our joint bachelor party, my fiancé, Edward, was playing a game of truth or dare with his childhood friend, Jenna. The dare was savage: whoever drew the card had to hook up for a one-night stand with the person next to them, right then and there. The suggestion alone made my stomach turn. “Hey, maybe let’s just do a truth instead?” I said, trying to keep my voice light. But Jenna wasn’t having it. She shot me a look of pure contempt. “Oh, Bella, don’t be such a prude. If I don’t have a problem with it, why should you?” Then, she turned her gaze to Edward. “Edward… are you up for it?” The room erupted in a chorus of jeers and whistles. “See? Bella’s no fun. If Edward doesn’t want to, I’m in! Pick me, Jenna!” I grabbed Edward’s arm, ready to drag him out of there, but he violently shook me off. “If I leave, what’s Jenna supposed to do?” he snapped, his voice tight with annoyance. “Bella, we’re getting married tomorrow. Can’t I have one last night of freedom?” Before I could answer, he pushed Jenna down onto the private room’s worn velvet couch, pinning her beneath him as our friends cheered them on. Watching their entangled silhouettes, a cold certainty settled in my heart. There was no future for us. … The other guests, hungry for drama, pulled out their phones, filming through the frosted glass of the adjoining room. The club’s soundproofing was a joke. Through the thin door, Jenna’s soft moans were sickeningly clear. Jenna’s best friend sauntered over, her phone aimed directly at my face. “Just a game, Bella,” she said with a smirk. “You’re not actually mad, are you? Our Jenna always follows through.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “Besides, Edward isn’t exactly losing out. It’s Jenna’s first time, you know.” Someone from the crowd chimed in, “Damn, Jenna really knows how to play! Unlike some people.” “Some people,” of course, meant me. A short while later, Edward emerged, shirtless. His chest was a roadmap of angry red scratches and smeared lipstick. The intensity of their “game” was written all over him. I stepped forward, intending to just get him and leave. But before I could speak, he ripped the jacket off my shoulders. The force of it snapped one of my acrylics, the one I’d just had done for the wedding. Pain shot up my finger, and my eyes welled with tears, but Edward didn’t even glance at it. “I tore Jenna’s dress,” he said flatly. “She can wear your jacket.” He looked at me, his expression hardening. “It’s just a jacket, Bella. What are you crying for?” Jenna’s languid voice drifted from the other room. “Edward, honey… I can’t go back on my word. A whole night means a whole night.” The crowd went wild. “Dude, don’t back out now! A girl’s making the first move!” Edward let out a helpless laugh, but his eyes were filled with a fondness that made me sick. “What am I going to do with her?” he said, shaking his head. “Looks like she’s planning on keeping me up all night. Bella, go buy a box of condoms.” I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing. He rubbed his forehead, his patience wearing thin. “Bella, don’t start. We’re getting married tomorrow. Don’t be so petty. You know I’m yours forever.” I just stared at him—this man, my future husband—and felt like I was looking at a complete stranger. Jenna’s friend was shaking with silent laughter, pointing at my stunned, frozen form. “You hear that, Bella? Edward wants you to go buy them condoms!” I slapped her phone out of my face and turned to Edward, a cold smile on my lips. “Why bother with condoms? If she gets pregnant, you can be a happy little family. Isn’t that what she’s wanted all along, to crawl into your bed? Fine. You have my blessing.” Jenna appeared behind Edward, completely naked, her eyes brimming with perfectly-formed tears. “Bella, I know you don’t like me,” she sobbed, “but it was just a game! I didn’t know you couldn’t take a joke! If you don’t like it, I won’t pick Edward, okay? I’ll pick someone else!” Edward immediately wrapped my jacket around her bare shoulders, shielding her. “Don’t be ridiculous! You think I’d let any other man touch you?” He spun around to face me, his calm expression now a mask of fury. “Apologize, Bella. Now.” I couldn’t help but laugh, a bitter, hollow sound. I met his gaze and didn’t say a word. His face fell, filled with disappointment. “Bella, she’s like a sister to me. Can you stop making such a big deal out of everything?” “A sister?” I shot back. “What kind of sister climbs into her brother’s bed? I’ve never met a sister that shameless.” The words had barely left my mouth when his hand flew, slapping me hard across the face. My head slammed against the wall. The room spun, and a burning sting spread across my cheek. I fought back the tears, my eyes fixed on Edward, who was now staring at his own hand with a mix of anger and regret. “You shouldn’t have said that,” he muttered, as if that excused it. Jenna watched me with triumphant eyes, but her words were dripping with false sympathy. “It’s all my fault, Edward. Don’t be mad at Bella. I shouldn’t have followed the rules. I definitely shouldn’t have picked you!” Edward used the same hand he’d just hit me with to pull Jenna into a comforting embrace. That’s when the tears I’d been holding back finally broke free. I turned and ran. Outside, the sky had opened up, a torrential downpour soaking me to the bone in seconds. In my haste, I’d left my phone behind. But there was no way I was going back in there to face them again. I walked for three hours in the rain before I finally made it home. 2 The moment I stepped inside, I started for the bedroom to change. Edward emerged from the room, walking on tiptoe. When he saw me, drenched and shivering, a flicker of concern crossed his face. He grabbed a towel and started rubbing my hair, his touch rough. “You’re a grown woman. Why do you have to punish your own body every time you get upset?” The memory of what he’d just done with Jenna was still raw. I recoiled from his touch. “Don’t touch me,” I spat. “You make me sick.” I met his eyes, my silence a challenge. Then I smelled it—the cloying scent of rose perfume, Jenna’s favorite, clinging to him. A wave of physical and emotional nausea washed over me. I shoved him away and ran to the bathroom, where I retched until my stomach was empty. When I came out, Edward was leaning against the doorframe, a cold smirk on his face. “So, I make you sick, do I, Bella?” I wiped my mouth, my gaze like ice. “Yes. You’re disgusting.” His hand shot out, clamping around my neck. His eyes were hard and cruel. “Have I been too good to you, Bella? Have I given you the illusion that you can control me?” I turned my head away, a silent refusal of his presence. It only enraged him further. He tore my soaked dress from my body. I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest, a futile attempt to shield myself. Edward saw right through my fragile composure. “We’re getting married tomorrow,” he sneered. “Stop pretending you’re some kind of saint.” He slammed me against the door and, without any care or preparation, forced himself inside me. The pain was so intense I trembled, but he didn’t stop. It wasn’t lovemaking; it was punishment. By the time he was finished, I could barely stand. He picked me up, my body limp and weak, and dropped me onto the sofa. Just then, the bedroom door creaked open. Jenna walked out, wearing my silk pajamas. She saw me lying there, naked and exposed, and a flash of irritation crossed her face. “Really, Edward? After we were done this afternoon, you at least had the decency to clean me up. Aren’t you going to do the same for Bella?” Edward lit a cigarette, his eyes raking over my bruised body. “Jenna, why don’t you help Bella take a bath?” I shoved her outstretched hand away and, forcing myself through the pain, stumbled to the bathroom. He had been merciless. My skin was a canvas of dark bruises, purples and blues blooming across my body like grotesque flowers. Staring at my own hollowed-out reflection in the mirror, a wave of profound sorrow washed over me. When I finally emerged, the dining table was set with a full meal Jenna had prepared. She was wearing a low-cut tank top, her chest on full display. Every time Edward looked at her, he got an eyeful. Seeing me, Jenna put on a show of cheerful hospitality. “Oh, Bella, you’re out! Come and eat! I asked Edward all your favorites and made you shrimp scampi!” I ignored her and started toward the guest room. Edward grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight I winced. “Is this how your parents raised you? Jenna made this food especially for you. I don’t care if you’re not hungry. You’re going to sit down and eat every last bite.” He forced me into a chair. I ate mechanically, exhausted, each bite a struggle. Jenna played the perfect hostess, flitting around, placing food on my plate and Edward’s. She acted more like the lady of the house than I ever had. Edward, who was normally a notorious germaphobe, didn't protest once. I finished as quickly as I could and stood to leave. This time, no one stopped me.
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