Dropping The Crown

( Be advised! This chapter contains description of domestic/physical abuse which may be triggering to some readers.)

Adani's POV.

"I can't take your shit anymore! WHY CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT?" he yelled at me right before striking me across the face. I hit the floor with a loud thud, and he took that opportunity to kick me in the stomach.

Ouch!

"Get the hell up, Adani!" he shouted again. He pulled me to my feet by my hair, strands of hair yanked from the scalp. A trail of blood escaped from my lips and rolled down my chin. His hazel green eyes narrowed in on me.

"Get yourself clean up. You look like crap," he ordered and shoved me into our bathroom.

My trembling fingers turned the shower on. The water came down like a raging bee attack, causing a sting as it met my wounded lip. I stripped from my clothes, stood in one place and allowed the water to drench me as I somewhat managed to get myself cleaned up.

I got out the shower, dried myself off and got into a robe. I went back into the bedroom and found Wayan getting dressed.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm going out. Don't wait up for me."

"Where are you going?" I asked. He turned in my direction with anger.

"Did you just question me about my whereabouts, huh?"

I gulped.

He walked over to me, and I stepped backwards against the bedroom door.

"What have I told you about questioning me?"

"That I shouldn't, but as your fiancée, I should know where you're going. It's late. What if something happens to you, Wayan?"

"What good would you be if something happens to me, you're useless!"

I nodded and he moved past me and went out the door. I heard the slam of the front door as he made his exit from the house. He got into his car and drove away.

I heaved a sigh and sat on the bed, looking at myself in the tall body length mirror from across the room. Tears welled up and slipped from my eyes as I stared at my reflection.

This wasn't the way things were supposed to be and this wasn't the man I fell in love with right after college. Wayan was a sweet, caring and loving human being. We've been together for six years and were engaged for two and a half. We bought a house together and had our respective vehicles.

He was a supervisor at his family-owned job at an electrical company and made a decent income.

He didn't want me working though. He made me quit my previous job and supported me financially but that reduced over the past few months.

I tried my all to please my fiancé and to keep him happy but for some reason, he just wasn't. I felt so alone in our engagement. Alone and beaten.

"Maybe I should cook his favorite meal as a surprise for when he gets back. Do something to cheer him up," I said to myself. I picked myself up and went into the kitchen. He loved meatballs and spaghetti topped with parmesan cheese. He was such a child.

When I was done preparing, I poured myself a glass of wine and sat down on the couch with the television on.

The next morning, I found myself in our bed. I sat up quickly and looked around. I must have fell asleep looking at the TV while drinking.

I drew the curtains open a bit to let in the rays of sunlight. He entered the room, wrapped in a microfiber robe.

"Good morning," I greeted him.

"Morning," he answered dryly.

"I made your favorite last night. Did you eat it?"

"Yeah."

"Did you like it?"

"Yeah, you want an award for cooking something so basic too?"

"Of course not, I just..."

"Adani! Please! I don't like your nagging this early in the morning. All you ever do is talk and nag. It's annoying! You're annoying!" he shouted.

"Wayan, what did I do to deserve this?"

"Another question."

"All I ever wanted was to become your fiancée, then your wife and the mother of our children."

He burst into laughter as he headed towards his closet. "That's funny," he said once he regained composure. I stood up from the bed.

"Seems like it's a joke to you now. Once upon a time, you said those exact words to me, and I didn't react that way. We're engaged but that's where it seems to stop," I spoke up.

"And it will stop there until you're worthy to be my wife and the mother of my children. You can't even go to your own damn bed at night! Just what kind of mother would you be? And the next time you fall asleep on the couch, I'm not going to carry you, I'll literally drag you!"

He finished getting dressed, took his briefcase and walked out the door. The front door was slammed as usual, something to indicate whenever he was upset.

I went into the kitchen, made myself breakfast and decided to go shopping for some groceries.

I double checked and checked myself one more time in my car's mirror, making certain the makeup covered my bruises and my lipstick covered the cut on my bottom lip.

I exited my vehicle, got a cart and walked into the local supermarket. I took out my shopping list and started walking through the aisle, ticking off every item as I placed them in.

"Adani!" someone called.

I looked up from my list and saw our next-door neighbor, Roselyn Hernandez heading in my direction.

I put on my best fake smile to greet her. Mrs. Hernandez was a much older woman than I was and became like a grandmother figure to me after Wayan alienated me from mine and the rest of my family.

Wayan wasn't fond of her. He said she was too nosey, and I shouldn't interact with her but whenever I wanted someone to talk about certain situations in my life, I would go to her house when Wayan left for work.

"Good morning, how are you?" I asked as she reached me.

"I'm fantastic. My husband and I are having a BBQ this weekend at the beach. I hardly see you out so I thought I should invite you. Some of my nieces in your age group would be there. You should come. Make some friends."

"Oh, um, I'll check with Wayan."

"He's not invited," she stated quickly and firmly.

"I see," I said, "Well, thanks for the invite. I have to finish up on my shopping now."

"Of course." We exchanged waves and went our separate ways in the aisles.

I was never clear to Mrs. Hernandez about my relationship and the ways I was treated by Wayan. I always tried to paint my fiancé in a good light even when he didn't deserve to be, but she was no fool. She knew I was being ill-treated. She just wasn't aware of how bad it was.

I knew I wouldn't be able to attend her beach BBQ, especially if Wayan wasn't invited. There was no way he would allow me to go by myself.

I can recall perfectly that one incident when I attended a concert with one of my girlfriends. She had come over to the house and basically dragged me out with her without Wayan's approval and knowledge.

When I returned, I was beaten so badly that I couldn't pick myself up off the floor for ten hours.

I finished my shopping and made my way back to the house. I texted Wayan that I was back and went to put the groceries away. I had picked up a few feminine and masculine products for myself and him. When I was putting his away in his drawer, I found an envelope with his name on it.

Curiosity got the better of me. I opened it and found a picture.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at it.

It was us. The day of our engagement.

"He loves me," I said to myself, "He just doesn't know how to. It should be my job to show him."

Adani's POV..

I was shell-shocked when Wayan arrived home from work and decided to take me out for dinner.

We hadn't been to a dinner since our engagement celebration, but I accepted.

This was the Wayan I'd been waiting for.

I got into the front passenger seat of his car and he drove us to a seafood restaurant where he had make the reservation. He pulled the chair out for me like the gentleman he ought to be before getting into his own seat.

Within a few seconds, a waitress walked up to our table.

"Hi, I'll like to have the jumbo shrimp, garden salad, crab legs, rice and mashed potatoes," Wayan said.

"Very well, and for you, miss?"

"I'll have...."

"She'll have an empty plate because we're sharing," he cut in.

The waitress and I were both stunned but I played it off quickly.

"And for drinks?" she asked.

"A glass of wine for her and a mint julep for me," he answered.

The waitress walked away, and he looked at her behind until she was out of his eyeshot. She later returned to our table with the drinks, food and an empty plate. Wayan watched her go once again.

"So," he started, giving me his attention now, "I've been going over our finances and I've decided on something."

Omg! The wedding!

"You should get a damn job. You're becoming a leech."

"Hold on, wait a minute, a leech?"

"I didn't stutter, did I?"

"Wayan, I don't understand where you're coming from. After college, I worked as a news anchor. You told me to quit because too many people noticed me from TV. I found another job at a magazine; you made me quit that too because you assumed my boss had a crush on me. I worked at a bookstore, and you said you didn't want me working anymore."

"You catch yourself sassing me! You think I'll be afraid to come across this table on you because we're at a restaurant, huh?"

"Wayan...."

"Don't 'Wayan' me. You're to start looking for a job. You should be grateful I'm allowing this. Get your independence back and have your checks entered my account."

"Huh?"

"You heard me, Adani. Not even you are that slow."

"The money I'll be making should be wired directly to your account and not mine, why is that?"

Wayan reached for my hands across to table and held them gently at first, then he started squeezing the hell out of my fingers that I felt like they were being crushed by a truck.

"You're hurting me," I winched at the pain.

"Good, because it seems like that's the only way you'll listen to your man. Get a job and repay me for all the money I've spent on you. Do you hear me?"

"Yes," I answered, tears slipping from my eyes. He released his hold.

"Now hurry up and eat the food. It's getting cold."

So that was what this unexpected dinner was about. To butter me up in finding a job and having my checks to his account.

I tried my best to finish the food I lost my appetite for, then I excused myself and went into the ladies' room.

The waitress who served us earlier entered after me and found me at the sink.

"Hi, I don't mean to get into your business..."

"Isn't that what people always say right before getting into your business?" I asked her, turning to face the direction she was in. She was pretty. Brown complexion like myself, light brown eyes and a small chest but what she lacked in chest, her booty made up for, for sure.

"I saw what happened at the table. The way he treated you. You couldn't even order your own food," she stated.

"He thinks it's romantic. We're a team and we share everything," I defended. Even I thought I sounded pathetic.

"You wouldn't understand," I said again.

"Trust me, I know control when I see it. I was once in a terrible relationship, so I know all the signs and red flags. Look, if you need someone to talk to, a place to escape to when you want to clear your head, you can call me." She handed me her name and number on a piece of paper.

Adonna.

"I'm sure I wouldn't be needing this but okay," I said, "I'm Adani, by the way."

"Adani. That's a very cute and unique name. Take care of yourself, Adani. I need to get back to the floor."

She left and Wayan entered right after. I feared he must have been listening or heard some of the conversation.

"Are you done in here, it's time to leave," he said.

"Okay," I said and walked out of the room.

Adonna caught me before leaving and gave me a slice of chocolate cake as my dessert. I thanked her and went to the car.

"What's that?" he asked, eyeing the cake in the small box.

"Ad.. the waitress gave this to me. She said it was dessert."

"Give it here."

"Are you going to eat it?"

"GIVE IT HERE, ADANI!"

I handed it over and he tossed it out the window. He started the car and drove us homeward.

"You didn't have to throw the cake out the window. I wanted it," I said as we crossed the threshold to our home.

Wayan put the lights on in the house and went up the stairs as if he didn't have a care in the world.

I went upstairs as well, stripped and got into the shower.

"Unlock your phone," he said as I got out and walked back into the bedroom. He was already holding my phone.

"You need to make a phone call or...."

"No. I need to have access to your phone too. Unlock it!"

"When did I become a prisoner, your prisoner?" I asked.

He backhanded me and I ended up against the door.

"For the entire evening, I've been dealing with your attitude and your back-talking to me. Don't ever forget who's in charge around here!" he shouted.

I knew the cut on my lip got bigger as I saw the blood dipped onto the floor.

"I swear, if you stain the carpet with your bleeding.... GO INTO THE GOD-DAMNED SINK AND WASH THAT OFF!"

I scurried to the sink and washed the blood away. My lips were swollen, and they both were busted open this time.

"Now, unlock this!" he said, appearing behind me. I took my phone, unlocked it and handed it back to him. He went through it as if determined to find something. A few seconds in, my phone started buzzing.

"Why is your mother calling you?" he asked.

I panicked.