The following is a story idea that I wish more LW authors would try to take on. Honestly, I believe that BTB stories where the cheating spouse being sent off to who knows where is kinda bleh. In fact, so much so that I genuinely think that this idea where the wronged spouse that masterminded these types of situations deals with the consequences. For those of you that know me mostly my Feb Sucks stories wherein I believe in the power of forgiveness, this story goes the other way in that I try to delve into the cycle of hatred.
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Laura Knox wouldn't say she woke up. She simply opened her eyes once more to the cruel reality of what her life had become. The scars on her wrists and ankles have numbed overtime, no doubt from the various materials that kept her bound to the bedspace.
She tried to reach for the glass of water beside her, only to find it empty. Something she should have expected, but who knew. Maybe her captors would show her some compassion for once. But after eleven escape attempts ending in failure, each ending in her body being branded, she found out she would be unable to try after the most recent beating. But she never gave up hope.
She could swear there was the sound of a door breaking down. She shrugged it off. Not sure if a customer had gotten rowdy with one of the girls again, or if she was still under the influence of whatever they pumped her with daily.
The commotion only grew from there. She figured she'd take advantage of whatever was happening to close her eyes again and have a few more fleeting moments to herself.
"Encontre otra, aqui." Strange, she hadn't heard those words before. She was used to perra, puta, sucia, etc. What she could only assume were aggressive words. But there was almost concern in the words behind her. She turned over to see a man in tactical gear. Fully armored and armed. She could make out a word that wasn't too difficult to translate that gave her the briefest of hope before she fainted.
Policía
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"Local authorities, having worked with the DHS and FBI, were able to put a stop to a human sex trafficking brothel. Over twenty women were rescued and taken in for emergency care due to their malnourished and abused conditions. Behind me are--"
The news reporter wasn't able to finish her sentence as Warren turned off his television. It had been just a day since the story broke out and it had quickly gained national attention. Everyone at work had been talking about it, and he would have otherwise not looked into it. But because of the nature of the crime, it put him at unease.
So he did research, and the more and more that was revealed, the more he panicked. You see, over seven years ago, he found out that his wife had been having an affair. And when that happened, he went ballistic.
Not in an animalistic manner, no. In a deceptively calculating way. Warren was a project manager for an engineering company. And as such, he did a lot of travel south of the border. Where he met, made, and worked with a lot of folks that were as moral as mud was clean.
They would hook him up with the occasional party drug, contraband, or stolen goods for cheap. But he always knew they were dangerous. So when he found out Laura was not only having an affair with an illegal, but was also planning on marrying him to give him citizenship, he knew exactly how to make them hurt.
He played them both. Using her phone to tell him where to meet up, and have him ambushed there and done away with, and then taking Laura against her will to a warehouse where he left nothing to the imagination as to what would be in store for her.
"Dad, is everything ok?" Stephanie, his fifteen year old daughter had gotten home and he didn't even hear her. It had all been for her. He'd be damned if he was going to lose her.
"Yes, bean. Everything's fine." He looked at her, and smiled. She had gone half of her life without much of him. After the discovery of his wife's infidelity, he lessened the amount of projects he went on to focus on his girl. "Are you ok?" He asked her. She was clearly shaken.
"I guess. We talked about that thing that happened at school." She pointed to his screen. "How can anyone do that?" He gulped and looked at his daughter. So much of her mother was in her. He tried to steel himself from regretting what he did. Actively pushed himself to believe what he did was the right thing. But the more she grew, it was like the ghost of his wife was haunting him.
"I don't know, Steph..." He wanted to say more, but struggled to find the words. "I'll never let anything happen to you." He promised. She nodded in understanding. He liked to believe he did a good job in making sure he was the 'favorite' parent ever since he became the only one.
Although she may have been a lying, and cheating bitch, Laura was her mom before he knew anything happened at all. Try as he may have to instill the idea that her mother had left them because she didn't love them, he always knew that Stephanie still missed her. Laura had left that much of an impact on her.
With little else to do or say, Stephanie left, leaving Warren to fear the worst.
