The gold bands clinked against Diana’s glass as she raised the drink to her lips. Jen had just walked off to refill her drink and Matt’s laugh rose from across the room above the lively chatter of the party. Diana’s gaze flitted towards her husband, his laugh sounded too loud, too pressing. She took a deep breath to center herself and smoothed the silk of her dress.

The beginning of the night kept replaying itself in her head despite her best efforts to distract herself. Diana had been excited to finally dress up and make herself feel pretty. She chose a pink dress she knew she looked good in and spent an extra few minutes on her hair and makeup. Despite her best efforts, Matt only gave her a quick up-and-down followed by a, “you look nice,” in her general direction as he checked himself out in the mirror. He then rushed them to the car, worried they’d be late. He drove quickly with his hand high on her thigh, wordlessly letting her know what he was expecting from her when they got home. Dread filled her. She didn’t want to go to the party anymore.

It wasn’t long after they arrived that Matt left her to entertain his friends, but she knew she wasn’t really on her own; his glare was constantly on her. Thank God Jen was here tonight. At least she didn’t have to feign interest in a stranger’s life again and could spend some time with her friend. She was relieved to relegate herself to the shadows of the party, biding her time in the quiet with people she knew, but she understood it was only a temporary reprieve. Diana’s stomach clinched at the thought and she gulped down her drink, desperate to make the feeling disappear.