"The Photo"

Her heart immediately stopped. To Daphne, it was the ultimate disrespect. To this day, Griffin will not accept accountability for how he embarrassed Daphne. It only took one minute; sixty seconds for everything to be ruined.

Griffin's long time friend Gunner had invited them to his girlfriend's Aubrey's birthday party. Gunner was more like a brother to Griffin than a best friend. Daphne and Griffin were both colored coordinated, and seemed to both be excited about going out.

Daphne was dressed in a tight, knit, pink dress. Griffin and Daphne had walked in together, but as soon as they hit the door, Griffin had dropped her hand and immediately separated from her.

This was not the first time Griffin has done Daphne this way. It had been a long, tumultuous, relationship. However, Daphne knew a few people in the "spot", and decided she would have a good time, regardless.

Aubrey was sitting with a friend that Daphne did not care for. She spotted Griffin's sister and brother-in-law so she decided to have a drink and sit with them.

At the end of the night, Aubrey wanted to continue to party and wanted to go to a strip club.

Griffin was skeptical about going because he was fully aware of something Daphne wasn't.

"I don't really feel like going, but if you wanna go we can." Griffin said quietly.

So, they drove outside of the city, "across the water" to a very popular strip club to have a few more drinks and to mark the end of a nice evening.

Daphne was naturally a tomboy and decided she would have drinks with the guys instead of Aubrey's friends. The only reason they were cool is because of Griffin and Gunner.

An exotic dancer approached them, asking if they wanted a dance. Griffin had disrespectfully lifted Daphne's dress for the woman to see; showing off the little black thong she had worn for his eyes only.

"Why don't you go over there and talk to them." Griffin had said as he sipped his drink, pointing in the girls' direction.

Daphne grew anxious because she preferred to just be near her "man" and not a group of girls she knew didn't like her.

"Gone over there and talk to the ladies. You're always under us." Griffin laughed.

So, Daphne reluctantly went and sat with Aubrey and "what's her face."

They had small talk. Invited her on trip they never actually wanted her to go to and pretended to be ok with her.

Daphne couldn't shake the feeling that everyone invited to the "after set" knew something she didn't. Griffin was notorious for that; taking her places knowing she was the only one who didn't know what was going on.

For the most part, Griffin had been somewhat of a gentleman that evening. On a typical day he was a typical "ass".

So they danced and drank into the wee hours.

It was about 2am.

60 Seconds.

At the end of the evening, Gunner decided that he wanted to take a few pictures before they left the club.

Gunner took pictures with just him and Ashley. Then he decided he wanted a group photo.

Everyone invited rushed to the where the photo's were being taken, and everyone got in the respective places. However, when Daphne had to tried to get to her man, old, "what's her face" quickly rushed passed Daphne and wrapped her arms around Griffin.

He stood there with a goofy smile while holding a white cup filled with liquor; laughing like it was funny.

Daphne's heart dropped. He did not make, "what's her name" move and didn't consider how this would make Daphne feel.

Gunner witnessed this and grabbed Daphne's arm. "Come on sis. I want you to stand next to me." Gunner then wrapped his arms around Daphne and it broke her heart even more.

The photo was taken. There was documentation of the evening. But, Griffin made sure he wasn't next to Daphne in the picture. He made sure it wasn't documented that he was with Daphne, that is for sure.

Daphne quickly walked off with tears in her eyes. She sat down and lit a cigarette.

"This fool is always embarrassing me."

Daphne sat at a nearby table alone and began to cry. The exotic dancer from earlier had witnessed what just happened. "How you doing suga?" the exotic dancer said. "I'm good." Daphne inhaled. The dancer looked Daphne in the eyes like she was about to say something meaningful.

"You got another cigarette?" The dancer asked.

Daphne passed her a Newport and slowly got up from the table. Her hurt had turned to embarrassment. Then it turned to true anger. By the time she walked to the entrance, her hurt had turned to hate.

All she wanted to do was take a photo with her man; have him wrap his arms around her, happy and smiling.

Suddenly, Daphne began to feel the many shots of liquor she had drank prior to the photo. The thought of them being together and then Griffin taking the picture with "what's her face" made her blood boil.

No matter how many times she wiped her face, the tears continued to flow. She wondered how he could be so inconsiderate to her feelings.

"LAST CALL FOR ALCOHOL!!"

Gunner, Aubrey, Griffin, and "What's her name" met up at the front door when Daphne walked out of the shadows in the club.

"Babe, where were you? I couldn't find you." Griffin said as Daphne pushed open the doors and stormed towards his truck.

"What's wrong baby?" What's her face laughed

Daphne rushed past her and turned and gave her frown and stood by the truck.

Griffin acted oblivious and had the nerve to get mad because she was angry.

They got in the truck and began to argue.

Then Griffin, with all his might, slapped Daphne in the face.

When they got home, they began to fight. Griffin had snatched the new pillow top mattress he had purchased for them off the bed and drug it and put it on top of his truck and was ready to leave her because he thought it was ok, to do what he did.

Daphne, had begged him to stay. In the process, a physical altercation between them had broke out about 4 am.

All over, "What's her face."

Daphne didn't want him going to "what's her face". She had begged him to calm down and stay. The issue was calm for the evening. However, it is an event that they both would remember forever.

Griffin had openly betrayed her and didn't give a damn.

He was to worried about, "What's her face."

Daphne should have just went home after the party like he said.

A few days later, on Aubrey's actual birthday she began to complain to Gunner. She was not satisfied with the fact that he had spent all his money to throw her a birthday party and then take her to the strip club after.

So, Gunner decided to go and collect a debt from someone he knew. Griffin had been hanging out with him the entire day and had finally decided to come home to Daphne and make up with her properly.

When Griffin arrived, he had not been home 60 seconds before getting the call that would alter his life forever.

60 Seconds

"What happened!? What the fuck happened?!", Griffin yelled.

"What's wrong?", Daphne said with concern.

"Gunner got shot. They are saying he is dead."

It was at that moment that Daphne felt horrible.

Why did Griffin agree to go to the strip club that night?

What possessed Griffin to agree knowing he was messing around with Aubrey's ratchet friend?

What made him grab her close to take the photo?

Why was Griffin always pretending like he wasn't with her.

Griffin jumped back in his car to go to the scene of the crime.

They found Gunner a few feet from his house in an alley; shot in his back.

To this day, Griffin never took any photos with Daphne.

They were in a relationship for over 10 years.

Well, Daphne was in a relationship. It just took her many years to realize she was in it alone.

He had taken several photos, with several different women he had dated. And to this day, he sees no wrong in what he did to her; how he had humiliated her once again.

Daphne knew Gunner loved her. He was like a brother to her. He wanted the world to see how beautiful he thought she was, when clearly Griffin had no intentions of ever making her feel like she was the only one.

That night was the beginning of the end for Daphne and Griffin.

There had been many red flags that should have prompted her to leave, years before.

She had fallen for a player; a liar.

A cheat.

She had fallen for someone who only wanted to take her for everything she had; including her self esteem.

He literally murdered Daphne that night.

He was dead to her. After this night, she never looked at him the same again.

She saw him for exactly who he is, and who he was.

They say a photo speaks a thousand words.

But to this day, Daphne wonders if Gunner had any indication, that the photo they took, would be the last one he would ever take.