Toxic

By G. Garcia

Rayna Gonzalez met the love of her life. David Bryant was perfect, almost too good to be true. He did things for Rayna no one has ever done. She finally found someone that appreciates her and loves her for her. As the years go by, she starts to notice a pattern with David. She starts to see David in a whole different light. The man who once was her knight in shining armor is now the man that causes so much pain and grief in her life.

As Rayna tries to hold on to hope, thinking he would eventually change, matters become worse. Rayna sticks it out with David for years, but does he ever grow up and realize what he has? Or is it too late for change?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781648019999

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Toxic

G. Garcia

Copyright © 2020 G. Garcia

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2020

ISBN 978-1-64801-998-2 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64801-999-9 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Prologue

As I close my eyes, I remember everything like it just happened yesterday—all the arguing, yelling, and screaming. He pushes me up against the wall and hit me on the side of my head so hard that I lost my balance. I run upstairs and lock the door. I grab my phone, sit on the bed, and think, Should I call the police? I hesitate. It will work out on its own. I reach over and grab his phone, and there appear on his wallpaper a picture of a female, a model. This makes me mad.

Next thing I know, I hear him running up the stairs and kicking the door down. The frame is completely destroyed. I hold on tight to both the phones, but he still is able to grab both of them from me and run back downstairs.

I throw some clothes on as I’m about to go outside and smoke a cigarette. He’s outside, smoking. I don’t see my phone in his hands. We do have a lake right outside of our house. I already know the phone is gone. Yes, my phone is very important to me. Who cares about all the phone numbers? All my pictures are in there. All the memories, our memories, me and him, pictures of my family and friends. Everything is gone. I look at him then I start walking toward the street. He asks me, Where are you going?

I tell him, I’m leaving.

He starts running after me, telling me that he will leave, and I said, No, go back in the house.

He refuses and continues to follow me. At this point, I’m trying to get away from him in fear of him hitting me again. I see him on the phone, calling the police. He’s done this before. He called the police on me. I run faster as he continues to follow me. I stop a random stranger and ask to use his phone. I call one of my friends to come get me at a nearby grocery store. I don’t have a phone, so I have no choice but to stay put. My boyfriend then turns around to head back home as I’m on the phone. He probably thinks I called the police, but I didn’t.

I get inside the grocery store, impatiently waiting for someone to pick me up. Then the K-9 unit pulls up, and I walk extremely fast around the store. I panic. I don’t know what to do. I know they are after me. The police call out my name, Ms. Gonzalez!

I freeze. I can’t go anywhere. I have flip-flops on for goodness’ sake. There is no running without me falling down. I plead with the officer. I didn’t do anything!

He grabs my right hand and presses on the top side of my hand, which is recently injured by David, my boyfriend. I scream and tell the officer it hurts. As he put the handcuffs around my wrists, he says, Ma’am, no, it doesn’t.

Yes, it does! I said. Look at my hand. I have a Band-Aid over it.

It doesn’t matter to him. To the officer, I’m a criminal, a person that did something they shouldn’t have. He takes me into the big SUV K-9 unit. I didn’t say a word. I’m wondering where we are heading though. I’m a bit confused to where he is taking me, until he made a U-turn going toward my house. All I can think about is why would he call the police on me? Why would he do this to me? I have a clean record, so no way I’m going to get locked up for this. What did he tell the police?

The officer in the car with me informed me that there is another officer talking to David, trying to find out what happened. All these emotions are running through me. I’m scared, mad, irritated, and worried all at the same time. I have a clean record. I never did anything wrong by law. What the heck is taking so long?

Here we go, the other officer is walking toward the SUV I’m uncomfortably sitting in. This guy is really tall. He looks like a nice guy. Hurry up and take my handcuffs off.

He opens the door. Hello there, I’m Officer Tilet. I’m just trying to find out what’s going on here.

I respond immediately, Basically I left my house because David hit me.

Officer Tilet is writing copious notes in his little notepad. Looks like he is writing more than what I told him, but whatever, I guess. He continues to ask me questions. What is your name? How are you related to Mr. Bryant?

My name is Rayna Gonzalez. Mr. Bryant is my boyfriend, I respond quietly.

Well, let me go talk to Mr. Bryant and get some more information. Right now, you are not under arrest, you are detained. I will be right back, he says as he casually walks away. He looks like he’s up to no good. Yes, I said it. The officer is up to no good.

Sitting here with my hands cuffed to my back, this is making me crazy. My head is screaming Let me go! I’m innocent! But my lips are shut. I’m just gazing out the window, thinking. I wonder if they will arrest me and what will happen after that? How long are they going to hold me before they let me go? I have to work tomorrow, this is ridiculous. Today is my last day off before I have to work fourteen days straight. It’s Sunday, I work two jobs—one full-time and one part-time. I work Monday through Friday with my full time, and I am guaranteed sixteen hours at my part-time job. I pick up hours where I can fit them in at both my jobs. This is my weekend off. I was planning on relaxing with David, maybe go to church and the mall, but as of right now, I’m stuck in this SUV like a criminal. I hope my neighbors are still sleeping. I don’t want them to see this. It’s only about seven-something or eight in the morning—cloudy, pretty gloomy. It’s obviously not a good day.

Officer Tilet is walking back toward the SUV, hopefully he got good news for me so I can get out and finish up my day.

Ms. Gonzalez, he says in a stern voice, which doesn’t sound very good.

I’m placing you under arrest for assault and battery. Mr. Bryant showed me some videos on his phone that obviously makes you the aggressor in this situation.

I rudely interrupt. I didn’t do anything. He hit me today. That is why I left. I didn’t do anything. I repeat. Look at my hand! He hurt me. That injury is from last week when we got into it again. Basically he picked up one of our chairs and threw it at me. I blocked my head with my hands so it won’t hit my head. You guessed it. It hit my hand and left this nasty wound on my hand. I guess I could never be a hand model, but that’s beside the point, David has hurt me before.

Ma’am. Officer Tilet stops me. We will be taking you in today. You are not to contact Mr. Bryant until further notice. He then read me my Miranda rights.

I start tearing up. This can’t be happening to me. Am I dreaming? This can’t be real.

I will be right back, Officer Tilet states as he walks back to my house. The officer in the vehicle with me asks me if I wanted the window rolled down a little bit. I don’t even say a word. He still rolls it down a bit. At this moment, I’m crying. I’m lost. What if I try to escape? What if I run? They are going to have to shoot me if I run, but will that make anything better? Maybe being dead isn’t such a bad idea. My life is basically ruined. I’m going to jail.

Officer Tilet opens the door. We are going to transfer you to another car and then we will be heading toward the courthouse.

Yeah, the courthouse, meaning jail. I’m so pissed off and upset all at the same time. I continuously cry even while riding in the car I got transferred in. I slowly begin to stop. No point in crying now. It won’t help anything. Now my anger has kicked in. We pull up to these gates and have to wait for someone to let us through. We are now at the magistrate. Officer Tilet let me out and walks with me through multiple security doors. I mean really? Is it that serious?

Have a seat, Officer Tilet tells me as he walks up to the counter, checking me in. As if I’m trying to get comfortable