I couldn’t remember what happened on the pier.

I just remember I screamed, a sharp pain across my left cheek, and all went black.

When I came to, I was being held by someone much stronger than I, while someone else ransacked our living room.

“What’s going on here?” I cried. “Where is my husband?”

“Aw, shut it!” the other one huffed, hurling a vase at my head. The broken shards reopened the wound on my face, drops sliding down my neck.

All was confusion. I couldn’t keep anything straight, nothing made sense anymore. I began screaming; frustration, anger, fear, longing, all permeated my scream.

“Here, use this to keep her quiet.” My green scarf was tossed across the room and swiftly tied around my mouth.

At least it helped to blot my bleeding face.