LatinosUSA

Content Warning: Violence

Freedom

The next few weeks pass at a snail’s pace. Gavin keeps to himself, and my wounds heal pretty well. One evening, he tells me to go out and buy him some beer from the local supermarket. I don’t argue. I get dressed and leave.

It’s almost dark, so I hurry up to get inside the shop. I take a basket and browse the beer section, pick up his favourite brand, then head to the register to pay. The shop assistant asks for an ID. I panic. I don’t have anything on me.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have it on me. I swear I’m twenty-two.” I plead.

“Sorry, kid. That’s the law. I need an ID to sell you alcohol. I can keep it aside for you until you come back with it,” she says.

“Okay. I’ll try to come back,” I tell her, though I’m sure Gavin will freak out.

I run home. When I enter, Gavin is snoring on the couch. I don’t know what to do. I shouldn’t wake him, but what other choice do I have? I gently touch him, even though I’m disgusted by the mere contact. He blinks several times, realizing it’s me.

“What the fuck do you want?” he snaps.

“I can’t buy beer. They asked for an ID,” I tell him.

“What? Are you kidding me?”

“No, that’s the law. If you want me to buy it, give me my ID.”

“This is bullshit,” he mutters, but he pulls out his wallet.

It’s full of cash—and IDs. A lot of them. I can’t help but notice they have different girls’ names on them. One of them is Cynthia Callum. I saw her on TV yesterday. She went missing. She’s only eighteen. Oh, my God! He killed her, too! Finally, he hands me my ID, and I leave again. This time, I’m shaking like a leaf as I walk down the stairs. He’s very sick, and someone needs to stop him.

I enter the supermarket again. When I reach the counter, instead of showing my ID, I blurt out:

“I need to report a murderer. Can you help me?”

“Are you serious?” she asks.

“Yes. He’s my ex. He kills girls for fun, and he forces me to stay with him. Tonight I got out because he needs beer, but I can’t stay with him anymore. I’m going crazy. I saw different IDs from girls who went missing. I need to report him.” I feel tears running down my face.

“Okay, my dear. I’ll call the police. Don’t worry. Come, stay here with me.” She opens the countertop and lets me in. I step behind it and follow her to the back, where she keeps the merchandise.

The police arrive and begin questioning me. I tell them everything. They go to the apartment where I lived until now. I don’t leave the supermarket. I wait and see what happens. Finally, the kind shop assistant comes back to me.

“They arrested him. He kept screaming that you’re crazy and that none of what you said is true. It’s going to be hell for you in the next few weeks. Do you have a place to stay?”

“No. I lived with him in that apartment, but I don’t want to go back—maybe only to get some of my clothes. I need a new place,” I say, shaking like a leaf.

“You’re coming with me. I’ll give you a bed to rest and a hot meal. You’re so skinny—I can see all your bones.” She takes off her jacket and wraps it around me. For the first time, I feel safe—or at least a little safer than I did two hours ago.

I go back to the flat, grab my things, and then return to Amanda, the shop assistant. She welcomes me into her home, a cozy two-bedroom apartment.

The next day, I wake up a bit disoriented because I don’t know where I am, but then I remember what I did. Gavin is in prison. I stretch and feel relieved that he’s behind bars and can’t hurt me.

Amanda is very kind. She feeds me, and for the first time in a long while, I eat with appetite. It’s unbelievable. I tell Amanda I need to get a job so I can pay her back. She insists it’s not necessary, but I don’t listen. She’s more than kind, and I want to repay her however I can. So I go back to the diner. I notice it’s open, and there’s a sign on the door saying they’re hiring. My luck!

When I enter, Candy is at the counter serving someone. She jumps, screams, and runs toward me.

“Oh, my God! You’re back! Welcome!” she says and hugs me. I’m stunned because I didn’t expect this kind of reaction.

“Hi, Candy,” I answer.

“Come with me. Angela will be so happy to see you.”

“Really? She’s not mad I left her hanging?”

“No. We all noticed your fiancé is bad news. What happened to him?”

“I called the police on him, and he’s in custody.”

“Really? Great! You did the right thing!” Candy says as we head into the kitchen.

Angela comes toward me, happy, almost in tears. I tell them everything I went through, and they are amazing—hugging me and encouraging me through it all. I start work on the spot, and I love it. Everything is the same, and it feels good to be back.

A few hours later, I hear the bell ring. When I look toward the door, Robert is there, staring straight at me, grinning like a high school boy. He looks good, attractive as always. 

“Hey, Eve! How are you?” he asks.

I smile shyly and just nod.

“I’m here to help you,” he adds.

“Me?”

“Yes. Angela called me and told me everything. You need a good lawyer to fight Gavin. I’ll hire the best one in the city and help you put him away for good. Please don’t say no—that’s not an option. And don’t worry about money. What matters is that you’re safe. Okay?”

I’m speechless, so emotional I can’t form words. He’s so kind to me, and I feel overwhelmed by this goodness I never thought existed.

“Thank you,” I say with teary eyes.

We agree to meet at his office the next day to discuss everything with the lawyer.

The next weeks fly by in a heartbeat because I’m surrounded by kindness and good people. My attraction to Robert grows day by day, but I don’t act on it. I’m afraid of feeling too much. I still believe I’m not worthy of being with a man like him—classy, kind, a true gentleman.

He keeps his distance as well. He touches my hand a couple of times, but when he sees me panic, he withdraws immediately. I’m not ready for a new relationship, and I’m sure he understands, even though I never say it out loud.

Gavin’s trial begins, and I’m a nervous wreck. It’s stressful, but I have to fight if I want my life back. At the first court hearing, the judge decides whether Gavin can receive parole. My lawyer explains the violence he’s capable of and the fact that he kept me imprisoned in his flat. Gavin’s lawyer argues that I need a psychiatric evaluation because of my parents’ tragic deaths and that my mind invented Gavin’s violence. He presents photos of us looking happy as a couple and then shows how I stayed in bed for days after my parents’ tragic end.

The judge isn’t convinced and sets bail at $100,000, which Gavin pays. He’s released.

“I can’t believe he did this. He made me look like a crazy person,” I tell Robert over lunch after the hearing.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get him. He’s only out on bail. He won’t get to you. I promise,” Robert says, trying to reassure me. I’m not as confident as he is. I’m sure Gavin is already planning to come after me, and this time, it might be the end.

I try to keep my normal routine, but every time I’m in public, I look over my shoulder to make sure I’m not being followed. Candy walks me home to Amanda’s place, and Robert hires a bodyguard to watch over me. It’s hard to live like this, but there’s no other choice.

Weeks pass, and everything seems normal. One evening, I go to the back of the diner to throw away the garbage when, all of a sudden, a shadow emerges from the corner, and strong hands cover my mouth. I can’t scream, but I kick as hard as I can. There’s a cloth over my nose, and the smell makes me dizzy and disoriented. Finally, darkness envelops me.

Previous Chapters:

Chapter 1, February 9: 
https://latinosenglishedition.blog/2026/02/09/chapter-1-of-bruised-but-unbroken-by-alissa-brown/

Chapter 2, February 16: 
https://latinosenglishedition.blog/2026/02/16/chapter-2-of-bruised-but-unbroken-by-alissa-brown/

Chapter 3, February 23:
https://latinosenglishedition.blog/2026/02/23/chapter-3-of-bruised-but-unbroken-by-alissa-brown/

Chapter 4, March 2:
https://latinosenglishedition.blog/2026/03/02/chapter-4-of-bruised-but-unbroken-by-alissa-brown/