He beat her out of love

He beat her out of love

She was kicked and pulled by the hair at 2:00 pm in public.
He thought she was lacking in discipline.
For the longest time, she thought this was an act of love.
When she started to fight back and defend herself, he would beat her even harder.
Don’t stare at me like that. Don’t talk back. Don’t give me that challenging look.
She didn’t understand why he humiliated her.
Why did he keep her locked up? Why did he oppress her soul and break her spirit?
Why were 24 broken ribs considered part of being disciplined?
Was this an act of love or an act of violence?

When she grew up and fell in love, he too wanted to break her, so he hit her.
At that moment, she still couldn’t tell if this was an act of love or violence.

x
Warning The stories on our story archive could contain potentially sensitive and/or triggering material. If a story causes you discomfort or pain, please remember to breathe and check in with yourself before continuing or stop reading completely if necessary.