Black Rose

Since the age of 15, Lexi Montgomery's life has been mapped out for her by a young man much older than herself. Although 19, Isaac Stone swore she will be his wife. Both come from prestigious families. It was almost as if they were destined to be together or so she thought.

"You're not going to prom with him," Isaac said in a demanding tone. "Why not? He is my boyfriend" Lexi replied. "You're 15 and too young to date. I don't want my future wife being tarnished" Isaac replied. "You're such a jokester! I'll see you when I get back" Lexi shouted.

Truth is that Lexi had no idea that 3 years from now she would be saying I do and carrying Isaac's first child at the age of 18. She moved nearly 3 hours away from both of their families as Isaac had everything in order for them both.

5 years later...

"Now that you're about to be a Bioengineer, I don't see how we would have much time to plan to expand our family. I say we shoot for our baby girl now" Isaac excitedly said. "I want to work a year before I had another baby" Lexi whined. "Please!" Isaac begged. "Now is not a good time," Lexi replied placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "I want it now" Isaac sighed. "We have time! I'll only be 21 when the baby comes" Lexi complained. "Let's just go" Isaac angrily replied.

Isaac was already established when he got Lexi pregnant. He was a well-known Civil Engineer. So, for him, it was easy to adopt the idea of another baby. Not long after, she found out Isaac had swapped her birth control with baby aspirin which infuriated her.

"You think too much," Isaac said coming up behind me. "Dr. Brady called. She can squeeze us in a few hours early" Lexi sighed. "I need you to be excited about our baby," Isaac said annoyed. "I am" she replied.

That day at Dr. Brady's office changed Lexi's life forever. She was carrying 2 daughters in her womb along with an STD. Her heart swelled when the twins appeared on the ultrasound screen, but it darkened at the news of her having an STD when she's only been with Isaac. Lexi no longer felt resentment toward her pregnancy, but she shifted toward Isaac.

"I don't want three kids!" Isaac yelled walking toward the car. "I know," Lexi said biting her tongue. "Don't touch me! This is your fault! You cheated on me!" Isaac said slapping Lexi. "I didn't!" Lexi screamed. "How else did you get an STD? I don't have one!" Isaac shouted. "I... I don't know but I didn't cheat on you!" Lexi stuttered. "SHUT UP!" Isaac yelled.

Moving forward Isaac's temper made him physically and emotionally abuse Lexi more often.

2 years later...

"If you try to leave me no one would ever accept you with 3 kids' worthless pig!" Isaac said delivering a hard blow to Lexi's ribs. "STOP!" she cried. "You existed" he hissed spitting on the top of her head while she lay sprawled on the ground.

Lexi planned to leave but her own mother told Isaac earning Lexi 2 broken ribs. Lexi's mother would always tell her to grow up and work it out.

"I'm going out," Isaac said. "How long will you be gone this time?" Lexi asked. "Why? Are you planning to leave me? If you do, I'll hunt you down and kill you while your children watch" he said pulling her hair backward. "N-No... I just wanted to see how much I should pack for you" she stuttered. "Get on your hands and knees and beg me not to go" he demanded.

Isaac wanted to break her, but she refused to let him. He never even called their children his. They were always her children.

"Why don't you allow us to leave? You won't let me have friends and those cameras are always watching me along with your police friends" Lexi said pointing at a nearby surveillance camera. "You're my property. My family doesn't believe in divorce and I won't be the first to break that tradition" Isaac said biting down on Lexi's lip until he drew blood. "OW! STOP!" Lexi shouted as Isaac pushed her down on the bed. "I'm going to break you down so bad that you'll wish you never met me," Isaac said forcing himself to enter her from behind while choking her. "I ALREADY WISH I NEVER MET YOU!" Lexi screamed before passing out.

Lexi was awakened by her eldest son. He looked terrified at the scene before him. Lexi tried sitting up, but it was too painful. It didn't stop her from seeing the blood that spewed from the back of her skirt. Isaac had brutally and purposely taken her innocence.

Two hours later...

"Please don't cry, Jr. We are leaving as soon as I get my strength back" Lexi cried. "I'll protect you next time, mommy," Jr said hugging his mother's neck. "It should be the other way around" Lexi smiled up at him.

She had gotten really good at hiding the abuse from her children. This was the first time Jr had saw her in such a weak state. She knew it was time to go.

3 days later...

"Honey, I'm home!" Isaac joyously called out. "We are in here" Lexi bitterly replied. "You couldn't wait "on me, piggy?" Isaac asked. "The kids were hungry," Lexi said refusing to make eye contact. "Well fatso, you should push away from the table!" Isaac shouted throwing his phone at Lexi's head barely missing.

Lexi had already packed their bags and stashed them along with the little black book Isaac kept hidden in his underwear drawer. It was hard trying to be sneaky with a house full of cameras. Although it would be great evidence for the amount of abuse she had been enduring over the years. Isaac's phone began to ring catching Lexi's attention.

"Hello?" Lexi answered. "Who is this?" the woman scoffed. "You're calling my husband's phone and you have the nerve to question me?" Lexi asked. "You'll be his EX-WIFE soon enough, stupid!" the woman spat before hanging up.

Lexi further confirmed her suspicions about her husband. Lexi was so naive that she really thought she had contracted the STD she had some other way than from her husband. It didn't help that she had just discovered that she was pregnant with baby number 4 that morning. She blamed Isaac because he refused to sign off to have her tubes tied.

"Eboni called," Lexi dryly said. "Why did you answer my phone?" Isaac angrily shouted. "You threw it at my head!" Lexi shouted, "Give me my kids!" she yelled. "You have 5 minutes to take you and those brats out of here," Isaac bitterly said.

Lexi gathered the large duffel and mini backpacks she stashed. When she went for her car keys, Isaac blocked her path and yanked her wallet from her hold. He took their shared credit card from her and threw her wallet in her face.

"GET OUT!" he yelled pushing her to the ground holding the twins. "Don't hit my mommy!" Jr shouted kicking his father in the groin.

Lexi grabbed her children and ran until her lungs gave out. After sleeping in an alleyway with her children because the banks were closed, Lexi made up her mind of what she needed to do.

Next morning...

Lexi changed both her kids and her into dry and presentable clothing in a nearby restroom. As soon as the check-cashing place opened, Lexi set out for her revenge. Lexi felt $20,000 would be enough to get her and the children away from her husband.

"Can you cash this for me?" she asked the teller, Colleen. "Of course! I just need to see your I.D." Colleen replied. "Here you go," Lexi said handing her license over. "Great! Where are you going to put this $20,000 that's been written out to you, Mrs. Stone?" Colleen suspiciously asked. "I have my bag with me" Lexi replied visibly clutching her satchel. "Black Rose," Colleen said with tears in her eyes. "Excuse me?" Lexi asked dumbfounded.

Colleen pointed to the visible bruises on Lexi's neck and forearms that had yet to heal from a previous beating a week ago.

"A black Rose isn't always a symbol of bereavement or a failed romance. It could also represent the death of a tragic past and the beginning of a new life" Colleen said handing Lexi a business card. "What's this for?" Lexi asked. "Black Rose is an organization that helps battered women and children disappear or get on their feet. When you're ready, call us. Just say Black Rose and no questions will be asked if you" Colleen said right before waving goodbye.

1 year later...

"I should have sued you sooner for stealing my little black book" Isaac hissed in the courtroom. "Just call it what it is, your checkbook" Lexi retorted. "I'm going to take everything from you," Isaac said pushing me into the nearest door as we exited. "How about you take care of our 5 children instead?" Lexi asked growing agitated. "I'll do you one better. How about I take those little bastards and leave you all alone?" Isaac chuckled.

Isaac hadn't laid eyes on any of their children in a year. Turns out, Lexi was pregnant with twins again when she left him.

"I never needed you," Lexi said composing herself. "You'll come crawling back" Isaac replied. "I'd never stoop so low to ever open my legs up to you" Lexi scoffed. "I'll have you screaming my name voluntarily or involuntarily as I've always done" Isaac laughed. "You're going to die alone," Lexi said walking away.

Isaac and Lexi were in court because child support had been filed. He wouldn't grant Lexi a divorce either. It was clear that he still wanted her. She was strong in every aspect of her life, but she wasn't prepared for the possibility of losing her children.

"I'm going to take everything from you until you pay me back the $20,000 that you stole from me. "What's yours is mine as I am your wife, remember?" Lexi added. "I always get what I want" Isaac hissed.

Lexi inwardly panicked at the thought of losing her children. She found herself back at the check-cashing place where it all began.

"Black Rose!" Lexi shouted and Colleen was ready and willing to help her disappear no questions asked.

2 years later...

Lexi no longer had to listen to horrible rumors about herself, such as being known as the woman with a lot of kids. Even worse, rumors spread that she slept around and got pregnant by five different men. It made no sense as she had 1 son and 2 sets of twins. All in all, she had 3 boys and 2 girls who shared the same father.

"How's everything going?" Colleen asked through the phone. "Great! The kids love it here" Lexi replied carefully not to mention her location. "Good! That husband of yours looks depressed. I heard that Eboni girl quit him because he wouldn't stop obsessing over you and your children" Colleen laughed. "Not my problem" Lexi scoffed. "I shouldn't have told you that anyway. I just thought you could use a laugh. Bye, Black Rose" Colleen said calling me by the organization's code name.

Lexi and her children hadn't seen or heard from her estranged husband as they were all living under different aliases. It was a good thing that Lexi's alias shared her college major. She finally had the opportunity to work in her field. Every now and then she would look up Isaac but never felt the need to reach out or talk to the scumbag. She was growing and glowing all thanks to the organization that made it possible in the end, Black Rose.