Just two days after our wedding, I refused to serve my sister-in-law—my husband slapped me, but my reaction in that moment changed everything.

”

I looked up. “For what?”

“A protective order, if you want one. And then a lawyer.”

The word lawyer sounded enormous. Bigger than divorce. Bigger than police. It sounded like a door closing.

“I don’t even know if an annulment is possible,” I said.

“Then we find out.”

I slept badly on Rachel’s couch. Every time a car passed outside, my body tightened. I continue reading …