I was on the floor, gasping for air, when he lifted his foot again. ‘Please, Brandon… don’t,’ I whispered. That’s when a calm voice cut through the room: ‘Touch her again, and you’re finished.’ Everyone froze. My ex laughed—until the man stepped forward. I didn’t know then that this moment would destroy one life… and completely change mine.”
The kick knocked the air from my lungs. I tasted blood and dust from the restaurant carpet as I curled onto my side, trying to breathe. Through blurred vision, I saw my ex-boyfriend pulling his foot back for another strike. “Brandon, please,” I choked out. “Don’t kick me again.” Around us, nearly fifty wealthy diners…