Love Hurts

'You stupid bitch... you thought getting pregnant would excuse you from doing your chores and taking care of yourself, you idiot,' Alan shouted at me because I didn’t want to attend his work party tonight. It seems like nothing is ever good enough for him, even though the house is spotless. I never expected him to use my pregnancy against me. I’m three months along, and he had been so supportive since finding out he was going to be a father. He showers me with affection and takes care of me when I’m sick or have cravings in the middle of the night. He’s become the loving Alan I fell in love with in high school. But now, the Alan I’ve known for the past five years is back. He’s under a lot of pressure due to a big promotion, so I understand why he’s acting this way. I’m just exhausted and don’t understand why I have to attend this office party. He never wanted me at these events before, so why now? 'Alan, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d want me to potentially embarrass you on such an important day.' 'Do you really think I’m that stupid, Camilla? I know you don’t want to go because you want to bring your damn boyfriend over tonight, while I’m trying to build a better life for us and our baby,' Alan accuses me. 'Alan, I don’t have a boyfriend. I never have and never will. You’re the only one for me.' I try to calm him down because when he gets like this, I usually end up bedridden for days from his abuse, and I don’t want to risk anything happening to the baby. I may have reservations about bringing a child into this life, but I want nothing but safety for our baby. The look in Alan’s eyes is terrifying. 'Run, Camilla!' My instincts are screaming at me. But I couldn’t move my legs fast enough before Alan grabbed a handful of my hair, forcefully pulling me towards him. 'Where do you think you’re going, bitch? Did you really believe you could talk to me like that and get away with it?' he spits out. 'No, Alan, I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking. I know you’re stressed out. Let me get dressed, and we’ll go. I apologize for being grumpy. It must be the pregnancy hormones,' I plead, hoping he’ll let me go.