The Toxic Husband's Perspective

Present Day

Emma Turner was discharged from St. Mary's Hospital the next morning. The nurses helped her to her friend Laura Bennett's car, exchanging sympathetic glances. Emma's face was a map of bruises, her nose covered with a bandage. Despite the physical pain, it was David's absence that stung the most. He hadn't shown up after hitting her, not even once.

This wasn't the first time, nor was it the tenth. Emma had lost count of the number of times she had ended up in the hospital because of David. It had become a routine, a vicious cycle of abuse and hospitalization. Laura Bennett, Emma's best friend, was always there to assist her, helping her through the aftermath of each beating.

Later that day, at Aurora High School, one of the most prestigious schools in the city, James and Sophia were dealing with their own struggles.

In James's classroom, the teacher, Mr. Thompson, was writing on the board. James sat at the back, next to his only friend, Oliver. He kept his head down, trying to avoid attention.

"Alright, who can answer this question?" Mr. Thompson asked, looking around the room. His eyes landed on James. "James Turner, why don't you give it a try?"

James's heart sank. He knew the answer was buried somewhere in his mind, but his anxiety made it difficult to recall anything. He stood up slowly, feeling the eyes of his classmates on him. "Um, could you repeat the question, Mr. Thompson?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Mr. Thompson sighed, clearly exasperated. "Fine, James. The question is: What is the derivative of the function f(x) = 3x^2 2x 1?"

James stared at the board, his mind racing. He could feel his palms sweating, and his throat felt dry. He took a deep breath and tried to remember the steps for finding a derivative. "Uh, I think... the derivative is, um, 6x 2?" he said, his voice wavering.

The class erupted in laughter, and even Mr. Thompson couldn't suppress a smirk. "James, that's incorrect. The derivative is indeed 6x, but where did the ' 2' come from? You need to pay more attention in class."

James sat back down, his face burning with embarrassment. He felt the weight of everyone's expectations and the shadow of his father's success looming over him. Oliver patted him on the back sympathetically, but it did little to ease the humiliation.

---

Meanwhile, in the school courtyard, Sophia was with her friends, chatting during lunch. One of her friends, Jessica, a bubbly girl with curly brown hair, was animatedly talking about a boy she liked.

"So, Jessica, are you finally going to talk to Ryan?" asked Lucy, another friend, nudging her playfully.

Jessica giggled. "Maybe. I mean, he smiled at me in math class yesterday. Do you think that means he likes me?"

"Totally," Lucy replied with a grin. "You should go for it. He's been giving you those looks for weeks now."

As the conversation continued, the girls shared stories about their crushes and exchanged gossip about who liked whom. They laughed and teased each other, enjoying the light-hearted banter. But amidst the chatter, Sophia remained unusually quiet, merely nodding or giving brief responses when asked something.

"Hey, Sophia," Jessica said, turning to her. "You've been awfully quiet. Got any crushes you want to share with us?"

Sophia's face hardened. "No, I don't."

Jessica and the others exchanged puzzled looks. "Come on, Sophia," Lucy coaxed. "There must be someone you like. What about Michael? He totally has a crush on you."

Sophia's expression darkened. "Don't ever talk to me about him again."

Jessica and the others were taken aback. "Why do you hate guys so much? Even the cute ones?" Jessica asked, her tone genuinely curious.

Sophia looked away, her jaw clenched. The bell rang, saving her from further questioning, but the tension lingered, leaving her friends in suspense and whispering amongst themselves as they headed to class.

---

Flashback: 23 Years Ago

Back in Brooksville, David Turner was focused on his academics, determined to lift his family out of poverty. His days at Westbridge University were filled with classes, studying, and late nights in the library. He knew that his scholarship was the only way he could make a difference for his parents.

Despite his busy schedule, David maintained his friendship with Laura Bennett. They would often study together, and Laura became a source of support for him. However, his thoughts frequently drifted to Emma Collins. She was a young, beautiful lady with a captivating smile and an enchanting presence. Emma was 18, with long, flowing chestnut hair that framed her heart-shaped face perfectly. Her deep green eyes sparkled with intelligence and mischief, and her full lips always seemed to be on the verge of a smile. Her skin was flawless, and her nails were always perfectly manicured, a testament to her attention to detail.

Emma's figure was curvaceous and well-proportioned, making her the object of many admirers' affections. She had a confident, elegant dress style, often seen in fashionable yet tasteful outfits that highlighted her best features. Emma came from an Italian-American background, which added to her exotic allure and made her even more intriguing.

One day, David saw Emma at a popular on-campus restaurant, The Green Bean Café. Summoning all his courage, he approached her. "Hi, Emma. I'm David. I think we have a few classes together."

Emma looked up from her meal, her eyes scanning him briefly. "Oh, hi," she said dismissively. "Yeah, maybe."

David felt a pang of disappointment at her indifferent response. He tried to engage her in conversation. "I noticed you're in Dr. Carter's chemistry class. How are you finding it?"

Emma barely looked at him, her attention already drifting back to her phone. "It's fine, I guess. Chemistry isn't really my thing."

David smiled, trying to keep the conversation going. "Yeah, it's pretty challenging. But I think Dr. Carter makes it interesting."

Emma glanced up, clearly unimpressed. "Sure. Look, I'm kind of busy here. Was there something specific you wanted?"

David's confidence faltered. "I just thought... maybe we could study together sometime. You know, help each other out?"

Emma's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain. "I appreciate the offer, but I have my own study group. Thanks, though."

David walked away, feeling humiliated but more determined than ever. He knew he had to prove himself, not just to Emma, but to everyone who doubted him. He poured all his energy into his studies, vowing that one day, he would be someone who commanded respect.