“Oh sweet girl.” The sigh in her mother’s voice made her heart splinter just a little. “It’s not supposed to be this way. He’s not supposed to want to see you hurt.”

Her grip on the phone tightened, like the way her mother’s arms would tighten around her if there weren’t thousands of miles separating them. She couldn’t breathe, but didn’t trust that she’d be able to take a gulp of air without a sob catching in her throat.

“He should be using caring words and gentle hands, there shouldn’t be fear or guessing games.”

There was a pushing on her chest, the weight of spending months under his control finally closing in. She shook her head violently, struggling to process what her mother was inevitably about to say.

“I know you don’t want to hear this... I know how bad this hurts, and I’m so sorry, love. But this isn’t good for you. He isn’t good for you. And you need to get out. Now.”