But it did. Again and again. It began with verbal insults, then shoves and pushes, and then, more serious beatings. Marcus always had an excuse: stress at work, problems with his parents, something she had done wrong. And Anna, desperate to hold onto the man she thought she loved, believed him. She blamed herself. She tried to be better, quieter, more obedient, anything to avoid provoking his rage.

She had suggested therapy, but he had denied he had a problem, insisting he had every right to “discipline” her. He controlled her every move, her every thought, turning her life into a gilded cage. Anna felt trapped, helpless, and utterly alone. She was too ashamed to tell her friends, too afraid of their judgment and pity.

But a few weeks ago, while Marcus was away on a business trip, confident in his absolute power over her, Anna had begun to prepare for her liberation. Each day spent with him was becoming more unbearable, but she had learned to mask her feelings, to become a shadow in her own home. She was getting ready.