Hudson Graves. The name followed her everywhere. Hudson Graves, genius! Hudson Graves, the great philanthropist! Hudson Graves the modern innovator! Hudson Graves, moving the future to the present! All lies. Lies, she thought, lies! A handsome man, a kind man. A man who would love you, a man who respects you. Yeah right.

        "Maria! Coffee!" Hudson yelled back to her. She jumped, then clenched her teeth.

        "Oh we have Andrew the servant to do that, but no, get the wife to do it," she muttered, standing up from her lounge chair. It was a gift from Hudson, for their anniversary. Given a month late. With the tags still attached. She had stared at the price of the chair many times. A common housewife could buy the chair. Her WONDERFUL husband had gotten it for half the price.

        She went to the kitchen, and grabbed the cup from Andrew. She was half tempted to spit in the coffee, but she was sure that he wouldn't notice, nor care. He probably would find it attractive. He had a kink for strange things like that. She was sure that he had experimented with some of his mistresses, in his little oubliette that he claimed didn't exist. She walked into his office.

        "Finally. I have been waiting for FIVE GOD DAMN MINUTES! What kind of wife are you?" Hudson spat, yanking the cup from her hands.

        "Sorry sir," she stammered, bowing her head.

        "You damn well be sorry! Be glad it's still hot," he snapped, taking a sip of the coffee.

        "I hope you choke," she hissed under her breath. A knock sounded at the door.

        "Why don't you get that you frump," Hudson jabbed, and crossed his legs, placing his left on top, facing away from her. His personal signal for space. She went to the door.

        "Who is it?" she asked.

        "Brian and George Hooper!" a man said cheerfully.

        "Oh how wonderful! Come right in!" she exclaimed, opening the door. She slapped a fake smile on her face, alongside a warm demeanor and the idea of a house where a man and a woman loved and cared about each other.

        "Brian! My man! My friend! It has been such a long time!" Hudson gushed, jumping from his chair, and pulling Brian into a bear-hug.

        "Oh how are you, you sly dog!" Brian asked, messing up Hudson's hair.

        "You know, same old, same old, business as usual. Making the world a better place. Giving homes to children. The usual," Hudson said, flashing his charming smile. The man standing in the room at that moment was not her husband. The man in front of her was the one she had fallen in love with. The man in front of her was silly, goofy, and a great guy. The man in front of her was confident, and powerful. She just didn't know how powerful.

        "Speaking of children, George and I got our approval to become foster parents! We also have been contacted by a mother who loves our paperwork, and she wants to meet up with us and see how her boy, Pete, acts around us!" Brian said with excitement.

        "Congrats Brian! You are a crazy friend who has gotten me into more trouble than I can count on both hands, but I'm sure you will be a great father," Hudson teased, receiving a polite shove from Brian.

        "Thank you Mr. Graves! What about you and Maria? Any children in your future?" George asked.

        "Well..." she started to say, but Hudson cut her off.

        "Maria is a little... saggy and deflated, if you know what I mean. Making love was left all to her high school days," Hudson insinuated, pulling her to his side and forcing his lips onto hers.

        "Oh ha ha, indeed honey... I do have some... good news... I'm having a baby boy in a few months," she revealed, pulling herself away from him. Hudson glared at her.

        "I'm guessing you are naming him Brian Jr.?" Brian asked, laughing.

        "I was thinking..." she started, in which Hudson once more interrupted.

        "Hudson Jr. is the boy's name. Maria and I have thought it out, and why not continue the Hudson name?" Hudson said nonchalantly. She wanted to scream. She wanted to jump up at him, and hit him as hard as she could. She wanted to wrap her small fingers around his throat. She wanted him out of her life.

         Ever since she had been with him, there was no pleasure and no joy in life. Making decisions was harder. It seemed like she could never make the right one. She could try to read, watch television, or even try to sleep, but she could never think clearly. She felt hopeless. Nothing could ever make her feel good. He made her feel worthless. He made her feel like a failure.

        There was nothing positive about her. She could not eat. The thought of food made her gag. Everyday something new was wrong with her. She had headaches. She was nauseous every morning when she woke up. Her body ached a new pain each night. Her shoulders where he touches her. Her thigh where his hand lays in a public gathering. Her face where he hits her. How it itches when she puts makeup on, trying to cover up the bruise.

        Brian and George didn't stay long. She wished they did. She wished that they would stay. If they had stayed, he would be how she remembered. If they had stayed, he would be happy. If they had stayed, he would be that nerdy school boy, the one who wrote poems, and who didn't have a chance to be with her. She would be out of his league once more, and he would be someone she never would consider dating. Things didn't stay that way. They just couldn't stay that way. One day he became brave. One day he became a heartthrob. One day he became powerful.

        "Why didn't you tell me," Hudson hissed coldly.

         "I did sir," she said.

        "When?"

        "A month ago. Sir."

        " I knew you were getting fat, but I don't recall you telling me that you had my child."

        "Sorry sir." He smacked her. Quickly. Hard.

         "Leave my sight!" he bellowed. She rushed out of the room, tears streaming down her eyes.

        —Imagine this. It is a dark moment in your life. Perhaps no one has ever understood you. Perhaps you've been angry all your life, and never knew the reason why. A good example is bullying. One day all the kids don't see you as an equal. They see you as weak. They see you as something that they can break easily. They go on to tell you that. Every day. They break your spirit, until one day you start to believe it.

        You act like you are okay around your friends. You act like it doesn't phase you. You make yourself impenetrable. You make yourself unattainable. The bullies are no longer bullies, they are your sleep partners and your exes. They are your friends, your teammates, etc. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer. You still feel weak though. You still feel useless. You still feel like you can break easily.

        Then someone comes into your life. They listen to you. They treat you like a normal person. You talk to them everyday, and everyday, they brighten your day. They save you, and make you think that everything will be alright, that you aren't a horrible person. Then they betray you. They break your heart. They know that you feel inferior, and they use that against you. The worst part is that you don't want to lose them, because you still see the good in them.

        —Months passed, and her child was born. She was alone in that operating room, crying holding her child, waiting for her husband to come see their beautiful son. A doctor cut her cord, and a taxi drove her home. The child got older, and walked without his father. First words, without his father. Birthdays, without his father. The typical absent father shtick.

        After a few years had passed, and her child became a teen, Hudson received a strange sickness out of the blue. Junior was scared. She was relieved. Hudson's condition got worse and worse, and she became more and more relaxed.

        "Let me take him out. Father and son bonding. Before I... succumb to my disease," he asked her one day. It felt wrong. She didn't want to let her child go with him. She couldn't let it happen, but why did it matter? He would be dead, and her son and herself could rest, and be happy. So she let him go. That's when they both disappeared.

        The search parties went out after she noticed they were gone for more than a day. She put out a hefty money reward for the return of her son. Then she waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually the search parties gave up. People started telling her that they would come back. They said that Hudson had pulled this sort of thing before. Brian told her about how one time he went off grid for an entire week. She had hoped that was the case. She even started to believe it. Then, one day, he knocked at her door. There stood her husband, fine as can be. His face was fresh as can be. He looked years younger, and there was no trace of sickness.

        "Where is my son! Where is my boy! What have you done to him!?" She screamed.

        "Junior is dead," was his only response.