1: A mistake

It was all a mistake.

Her birth, her puberty, her maturity, her relationship, was all a mistake. It was never meant to happen.

All her life, Natalie had always tried to make everyone happy. Tried to fit in. Tried to feel loved. But why couldn't it just happen? Why was it that every time she always felt a chance at happiness, they'd see a bad in her? Like her wide hip, her stretch marks, her undying need for cuddles after sex.

It was all disgusting. That made her disgusting. Even Joel never failed to remind her that everyday. Every. Single. Day.

Joel McGrew, her boyfriend of four years with whom she currently lives with, is a two-headed snake of a bastard. But Natalie loves him. With all her body and probably her heart. He was her world. He loved her too.

If giving her a black eye, a swollen clit and swollen breasts were his ways of showing how much he loved her, then she would accept it wholeheartedly.

But his misgivings were a mistake, right? Right.

Natalie stares longingly at the ceiling as if wishing for the cement and planks to fall on her face and put a end to her miserable life. She lies sprawled on the floor.

Blood trickles down from the huge gash on her forehead. It wasn't huge enough to scar but was huge enough to cause pain, and that was what Natalie felt. Pain. The emotional was overriding the physical, day by day. Her body felt like it is glued on the cold tiled floor, maybe because of laying on the floor since when Joel left.

But, you know what? It is okay. My boyfriend loves me, she thought. It had been, yet again, a mistake. Joel came back drunk and asked for sex, which Natalie would have gladly given if she wasn't so sore and ached bad. And right there and then, he didn't have to go to the gym.

She remains on the cold floor some more before she wills her body to move from the floor to the attic where she gets cleaning materials to clean off the blood from the floor, according to Joel's words; "Clean this floor because it's more expensive than 15 of you, freak." Then he stormed out. That was 3 hours ago.

After she is done, she decides to get prepared for work. She lets down her long curly hair-that stops below her butt-hoping that it would cover her now bandaged temple. And it did, as usual. She dresses in her work clothes then rides her bicycle down to the restaurant she waits for, but that was not after preparing lunch because if she didn't, Joel would flip and probably finish the job this time.

"Good morning Mr. O'Connor." Natalie politely fakes a smile at her 53-year old employer.

Dante O'Connor flashes a big smile to his favorite employees before handing her her name-tag.

"Natalie! Dear, it's afternoon already! You came quite late today, your shift started 4 minutes ago." He playfully scolded.

Natalie's eyes widens. She is going to be fired. She just knows. But how was it possible? She made sure she cycled three times faster than usual just to get there on time. But, she wasn't even fast enough to save herself from her sack letter.

"Mr. O'Connor, I swear I'm so sorry! I...I...I tried my best sir, I woke up late and I drove so fast to get-"

Dante stops her from her ranting with a wave of the hand. "Nonsense! I was just joking Natalie, Gosh, you're so uptight." Dante's lip juts out in a fake pout. He rather looked comical.

Natalie feels herself relaxing.

"Thank you so much Mr. O'Connor! I swear it won't happen again!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm so cool you don't have to tell me. Anyways, you'll be working on the counter with Corrine today since Jenna already took your spot." Natalie takes a bow of thanks before scurrying away to the counter.

"Hey Natalie!" Corrine's bubbly self leans towards Natalie to give her a hug but Natalie stylishly moves out of the way. Corrine notices this but doesn't say anything.

"Hey Corrine, good afternoon." Natalie replies with a tone that says she doesn't wanna speak anymore.

It wasn't like Natalie hated her job or her colleagues. No, quite the opposite. She loves her job and her colleagues are super friendly. But she isn't the social butterfly like Corrine or Monika, the cook.

"Hello. Good afternoon, welcome to D&Js, can I take your order?"

That was how it was till her shift. The constant hustle and bustle of the people of New York gave the restaurant a homely feeling, and for a second, Natalie thinks it is okay because she loves her job and her boyfriend and what happened today, was just a mistake...

That'll definitely repeat itself...