The Christoffer Event

Meet Chris, Sam's Abusive Ex.

Thanksgiving break hadn't come fast enough. Although she had so many projects to do, Sam would be able to relax for a whole week and get to see her family. It was two days before Thanksgiving and preparations for the elaborate feast was already taking place when Sam's laptop started beeping. It was a Skype call from Christoffer, her boyfriend. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. She had grown up with Chris and the entire family thought it would be a great idea for them to date, so they did. Little did Sam know how abusive and uncaring Chris was until after eleven months of dating. Both of their families wanted them together, so she was now stuck with him. She turned on the black lamp on her nightstand and answered the call. Chris sat there, his hay coloured hair buzzed short and his ruthless chocolate eyes staring directly into the web-cam.

"I'm visiting for Thanksgiving."

"Excuse me?"

"Your parents thought it would be a good idea for me to visit," he sighed in a way that made him seem irritated at the thought of it. "Apparently people dislike you more than they did here, so they want me to make you happy or something."

"You couldn't make me happy, even if you tried."

"You do realize you're going to pay for that," I shivered at the thought. "You always do. Why are you going to disrespect your future husband? It's already written in stone. We're going to be together forever, so you might as well accept that thought and try to be a little more pleasant." He spat out the word pleasant and ended the call. Sam ran her index finger alone the scar that was covered with the Banjo and Kazooie logo tattoo. A chill ran up her spine and she knew she hated Chris. He used to beat her daily and having to fake a relationship and being forced to give him a peck on the lips in front of both of their parents was enough to make her sick. She couldn't stand him, yet she was stuck with him. To avoid crying, she grabbed my tablet and began drawing. Drawing was the only thing saving her.

Aunts and uncles, cousins and baby cousins, grandparents and their dogs; So many people filled my house. They were staying a Holiday Inn somewhere nearby, and would be here for several days. Sam enjoyed their company, until he arrived. The door flung open and a fake smile appeared over his almost nonexistent lips. Sam's parents waved and hugged him, and he hugged back whilst glaring at her. She shook her head softly. She was done dealing with this, with him. Even though it was supposed to be a day of celebrating and giving thanks, she couldn't take it anymore. Chris went up to hug her and she pressed a hand to his chest.

"No." Sam's parents dropped their jaws and stared at her. Chris gave a nervous chuckle and the room became as quiet as a graveyard.

"What are you talking about, Samantha?"

"Shut up, Chris. I'm done." A gasp came from her mother.

"What?" Sam stood up and faced him.

"I'm done with you physical and emotional abuse," her voice shook, but she balled her porcelain hands into fists to prevent from crying with anger. "You have given me too many physical scars, and you treat me like crap. I'm done trying to fake a relationship for two years just so our parents can get their kick." She looked directly at her parents and lifted her shirt halfway. There was a scar that started an inch beneath her breast all the way to her belly button.

"He did this to me. This is probably the worst out of all of them. He did this to me because I didn't want to lose my virginity to him." By this point, Sam was crying and the entire family was in shock. "Get him out of here. I never want to speak to him again." Her father grabbed him by the collar of his polo and pushed him outside, slamming the door behind him. Her mother ran to her and hugged her.

"I never knew," she murmured between sobs. "If I had known, I wouldn't have made you two stay together for so long. When did this happen?"

"Over a year ago." She held me tight and cried, still apologizing. Sam looked her emotionless and wiped the final tear from her cheek.

"I'm no longer hungry. I'll be in my room." She walked upstairs, back into her dark room and closed the door. The rest of the night consisted of sobbing in bed while listening to her family downstairs eating and laughing. This was her life, and she was sick of it.

Christoffer sat outside the front door in the cold for hours, expecting this entire event to be a joke or a bad dream. Even after all of Sam's family left out of the front door and headed to their hotels, he still waited. Even after we turned off all of the lights, he sat outside and waited. Eventually the phone rang and so began the feud between her parents and his parents. Her parents explained the scars and the abuse, and later on made Sam send photos from her phone. Within two hours of explaining everything, Chris' parents felt guilty and told him to drive home, and that was the last time she ever heard from his parents. Sadly, it wasn't the last time she ever heard from Chris.

 

He began to text her every minute of every day, pleading to take him back. She never replied to him, she never answered his phone calls and Skype calls, but he still persisted. At first it was a sad puppy dog pleading, but it grew into anger and threats. It scared Sam to bits, but her parents were too busy fighting to care. Her life was crumbling right before her eyes, and she couldn't stop it. Worst of all, she had no one to turn to. She was completely and utterly alone.