10/04/2025
CHAPTER 2: WALKING ON EGGSHELLS
After every insult, every cruel word, Debby told herself,
“Maybe tomorrow will be better.”
But tomorrow never changed.
Instead, she learned to study Matthew’s face like a weather report.
She could tell if it was going to be a peaceful night or a night filled with tension, just by how he closed the door.
If his eyes were tight and lips pressed, she would rush to serve his food before he spoke.
If he didn’t respond to her greeting, she’d quickly clean again—whether the house needed it or not.
She was constantly adjusting herself.
Her life became a game of avoiding triggers.
She couldn’t laugh too loud.
She couldn’t speak her mind.
She couldn’t cry too much.
She was walking on eggshells in her own home.
Then came the first slap.
It was on a rainy evening.
All she said was, “The soup is still on the fire.”
That was it.
The sound of his hand across her cheek rang louder than the thunder outside.
She stood there, stunned. Her body froze.
And then—he hugged her.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“You made me angry.”
Debby cried alone in the bathroom that night, staring at her reflection, holding her cheek.
She didn’t tell anyone.
Not her mother. Not her closest friend.
Because somehow…
She thought it was her fault.
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This is the sad reality for many women.
The pain isn’t always visible—but it’s real.
If you or someone you know is constantly adjusting, constantly afraid, constantly hurting—please speak up.
No one deserves to live in fear.
Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments.
Chapter 3 drops soon. Stay with me.
