Years later, Jenna had graduated high school and was living in an apartment with Wallace. She could not figure out quite how she landed in such a predicament. It began as one small concession, then another until she found herself living with a man that frightened her. Though they lived together, they weren't dating. Wallace was playing the field and Jenna was dating a guy named Alex. Alex was kind to Jenna. He didn't like her living with Wallace but he understood her kindness towards him.
As Alex and Jenna's relationship intensified, Wallace grew irritated. He didn't like hearing Alex refer to Jenna as his girlfriend. One day, Wallace came home and demanded Jenna dump Alex. Naturally, Jenna refused. Wallace pushed her telling that he only let her date him to prove a point. He told her that Alex would never love her the way he did. She ignored him. Finally, Wallace told her that if she didn't dump him, he would tell Alex that they were sleeping together. It wasn't true but Jenna knew that Alex occasionally had doubts. He would believe it and hate her for it. She couldn't bear the thought of someone she loved hating her. She called Alex at work and broke up with him. After hanging up the phone, Jenna went to her room and slammed the door. she cried for hours until she finally fell asleep. Two days later, Jenna still had not said one word to Wallace.
He wanted her back but she was too mad at him to see how much they belonged together. On the third day, Wallace took Jenna to see Alex. Jenna explained why she had dumped him. Alex was furious but deep down he knew she was right. They got back together and Alex agreed not to pick a fight with Wallace over it. As he kissed Jenna good bye he begged her to move out on her own. She knew he was right but she was afraid of living alone.
A few weeks later, everything between Jenna and Alex were back to normal. they hung out and went on dates regularly. One night in May, Alex surprised Jenna with a trip. He took her to dinner in the city. he even got them a hotel room so they didn't have to drive back that night. It was their first night together. After midnight, Alex got an emergency call from his mother. Her home had been broken into and she needed him to come over. He hated to leave Jenna but his mother's home was over an hour away. Jenna insisted Alex go help his mother, he promised to return in the morning. After Alex left, Jenna tried to fall back to sleep. Soon there was a knock on the door. She couldn't believe her eyes, it was Wallace. "What are you doing here?" she asked looking down the hall. Wallace looked at Jenna then at the bed "you had sex with him! How could you?" "That's none of your business" Jenna yelled. "Alright" Wallace said walking around the room grimly before leaving.
The next month passed slowly, Wallace kept his distance for which Jenna was grateful. Jenna was working second shift and sleeping mostly in the day. Alex was busying moving to an apartment only forty minutes away. It was a transitional period so he was not able to see Jenna much but he thought about her often. Jenna's boss asked her to work the weekend, she didn't want to but she needed the money. Alex's birthday was just a few weeks away and she wanted to be able to do something nice for him. Saturday after work, Jenna felt sick, she realized she missed her period and ran out to get pregnancy test. She took the test as soon as she got back home, she was pregnant. She called Alex but there was no answer. An hour later,Wallace approached Jenna. A friend of his was selling a car with a sweet stereo system and he wanted to buy it. He took her to see the car. Jenna was tired and uninterested. After showing her the car, Wallace asked her to lend him money for the car. Jenna refused easily thinking about her future with Alex. Wallace's friend was mad that they wasted his time. Wallace felt embarrassed that he could not afford the car.
When they got home, Wallace went into the bathroom. He found the box for the pregnancy test. He confronted Jenna. She told him she took the test and was pregnant. Wallace threw the empty box at Jenna's head. She rolled her eyes and turned away. He grabbed her arm and threw her to the floor. He was yelling at her that she was ruining her life. She shoved him away and he slapped her. She slapped him back. Wallace punched her. She punched him in the face. He punch her in the stomach and chest until she stopped fighting back. He got up and started to walk away then he realized Jenna was gasping and coughing for air. He didn't know what to do so he moved her to her bed and left. Jenna awoke the following morning to her alarm. She had to get up for work up her body felt as though it was hit by a truck. She threw back the blankets and found a pool of blood. She crumpled back into the bed recalling the fight from last night. She felt waves of shame and guilt. The doctor later confirmed that she had miscarried. Jenna couldn't bare the pain, she stopped going to work. She didn't know how to tell Alex she couldn't so she lied. When he saw her battered and bruised she told him she fell and hit the curb. the lie tore them apart. Until Jenna couldn't even remember the last time she spoke to him.
Jenna stopped caring. She didn't care when Wallace wanted to have sex with her, she didn't care when her coworkers slapped her ass as she walked by. She was just floating in a sea of nothing trying to forget. Wallace asked her if they could get back together, she said she didn't care so he took it as a yes. He promised to make up for the things he had done. Jenna didn't care about his guilt, she was too busy drowning in her own. She recalled the fight and all the opportunities she had to run or scream for help. But she hadn't, she stayed and allowed things to escalate beyond her control.
One day as Jenna sat her room, she felt the walls closing in around her, she had to get out. She went downstairs. "Where are you going?" Wallace asked chopping an onion. "For a walk" she replied plainly. "You can't go out, its raining" he laughed. Jenna hated his smile. It angered her that anyone who knew what she'd lost could smile at all. "I don't care" she replied turning to leave. Wallace grabbed her arm. she spun around to face him. The two of them argued and yelled over nothing at all. The argument grew heated and before he could stop himself Wallace stabbed at Jenna with the knife. She tried to protect herself by curling into a ball. The knife sliced the side of her leg. Jenna screamed and ran to the door. Wallace apologized but she wouldn't stop trying to leave. He caught her arm just as she was slipping out the door. He tried to pull her back in but she fought him. He slammed the door on her arm several times. Finally she surrendered to the pain and fell to the floor. He dragged her back inside.
Jenna knew she had to escape. she devised a clever plan. She would pretend that everything was fine then take him to visit with her family. Her plan worked flawlessly, the next week they met up with her father and brother. "He stabbed me for trying to leave the apartment" Jenna blurted out as soon as she saw her family. She had meant to tell them discreetly but once she saw them, the glimmer of hope was too strong to ignore. But at least it was done she had made her cry for help. She showed them the wound on her leg. It took Jenna a moment to realize what was happening around her. Her family wasn't rescuing her they were laughing. She watched in horror as her father and brother joined Wallace in laughter. Wallace told them that he was simply cutting an onion when Jenna bumped the table. They all agreed that she was clumsy and the issue was put to bed. That night, Wallace asked Jenna to marry him with no escape in sight she agreed.
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