I called off the wedding eight months earlier. At the time, I thought that it would be a mistake to marry Fen. In hindsight, that was the best decision I could have made. Fen said he wanted us to be together and would wait for me. Finally, I caved, and eight months later, we got married in a much smaller ceremony than first intended.
The night before the ceremony, I panicked and considered running away. I still lived in the islands, so my dress was custom-made. I spent the night at the dress-makers house, and it was one of the longest nights I could remember. Fen stayed outside the gate of the house for the longest time. I think that a part of him knew that I wanted to run.
Finally, the morning came, and all points of exit were closed to me. The ceremony was a blur. Before I knew it, I was Mrs. Fen, and my world changed. The next day, we went to a neighboring island for our honeymoon. As we entered the hotel room, I heard a loud noise followed by my husband wincing in pain and holding his left hand.
The First Crack
As I moved toward him, I noticed that his wedding band cracked where the diamond was, and the diamond was now missing. He also had a small scratch from the cracking of the ring. We looked around the room but never found the diamond. This crack was the first crack in the relationship and the only one to leave a physical scar on my husband. Throughout our marriage, the rest of the scars inflicted, both emotional and physical, were mine to bear.
If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence or relationship abuse, please call (anonymous and confidential) the national domestic violence hotline 1-800-799-SAFE. Advocates are available. Visit National Domestic Violence at thehotline.org. For immediate help, call 9-1-1.