text: S. Heald The Wrath of a Beaten Woman 
   
   
     
   
  The Wrath of a Beaten Woman 
  ***** 
  Chapter 1 
  Staring into the mirror I couldn’t help but cry. The reflection of my swollen face was a sad sight to stomach, even harder to look at in real time. My large green eyes had lost the glimmer they once had, and with a large gash on my right cheek bone I realized I had been defeated once again. When had I let it get this bad?  
  Over the past few months he had gotten worse, apologizing every other time about how sorry he was and how he would never do it again. He was lying. I knew he was lying, but I wanted so desperately to believe his lie and not be afraid of him. There was so much good in him that I could see when he opened up to me. I remember four years ago when we met and it was one of the best days of my life.  
  I remember the day, that I had thought was the happiest day of my life, like it was yesterday.  My only brother, Ryan, was getting married to the woman of his dreams and even though I hated the bright green bridesmaid dress I smiled the whole time.  
  Seeing someone you care about so happy just brings joy into your heart, and I knew that he was overfilled with undying love for his new bride. During the wedding I noticed a very handsome man smiling at me three rows back on the bride’s side of the church. His name was Eric Benjamin Lee. He was almost six feet tall with thick, dark brown hair. His teeth were so white they seemed to be glowing, and if I must say, he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen in person. I couldn’t keep from smiling back at him.  
  During the reception he had walked over to the table I was sitting at and asked for a dance. It felt like I had just been asked to my first high school dance and I was overcome with joy. I felt so safe and lucky in his arms that night, dancing the night away under the stars and white lights they had used for décor.  
  He smelled like the best of winter and a cool breeze during summer. I treasured everything about him, from the way his eyes seemed to pick up the moonlight and glisten under the stars, to the way his hands cradled my back like they would never let me fall.  
  Yes, we had come a long way from that amazing night to where we are now. I found some anaesthetic in the bathroom cabinet and started applying some to my cheek. I have learned how to cover my bruises and cuts well, but I knew that this one would probably scar if I didn’t put something on it.  
  I didn’t have to worry about covering up from my family anymore since I didn’t see them often. Eric and I had moved many hours away from my family back in Medford, Wisconsin to Alabama. Eric’s job was transferred to a plant here and at that time, he was amazing in my eyes and I would have followed him to the moon.  
  I still managed to talk to my mom and dad once every other day, and my brother once a week, but I missed them so much.  As I applied the cream to the cut it started to burn and I had to hold my breath for a moment. The pain of the cream wasn’t near as bad as the pain my heart was in. My whole body was screaming, but inside I was starting going numb. 
  Chapter 2 
  I had so many painful memories, especially here recently. Some people may wonder why a woman stays in a relationship that causes her so much pain. And to be honest I cannot answer that for other women. Why have I stayed? Well I have stayed because I fear him and I fear what life will be like without his love.  
  Eric was from a very wealthy family and also made good money in the engineering profession. He had threatened that if I left him he would ruin my name, leave me broke, and would make it his life goal to make my life hell while I walked this earth. I fear the day that I die with his hands around my throat, and I fear the day that I had to live without him as strange as that sounds.  
  I hated him, but I also loved him so much; or did I? I confused my emotions lately between love and hate; I didn’t seem to be able to tell which emotion was stronger when I thought of him. Maybe I was the sick one. If I did escape and start over, who would love me? I was so screwed up emotionally and mentally at this point that I doubted I would ever love another man truly again. I doubted I would ever let another man in the way I had allowed Eric in.  
  I decided to put on some makeup so that I didn’t feel so bad about having a new shiner. It hurt to rub in the creamy makeup but I pushed through it until my black eye looked light brown. The last time he had gone off on me still played through my mind. 
  We had been watching television when my cell phone rang. I picked it up to see that it was an unavailable number. Eric grabbed the phone out of my hand and answered it. Whoever was on the other line hung up abruptly.  Eric had sworn that it was someone I was seeing behind his back, even though I pleaded with him that he was the only man I wanted or was interested in. 
   He stood and hovered over me and faster than I could blink he had back handed me. The pressure of his hand was so severe that it knocked me onto the floor. I don’t know if I was crying out of fear or pain, but my tears just fuelled him. He then picked me up with his hand around my throat muttering about how he would teach me to go behind his back or something to that effect.  
  I remember my hands grabbing at his trying to loosen up his grip because it was getting harder for me to breathe. He took me to the bedroom, still with his hand around my neck, and with his other hand he thrashed away at my night gown until he had managed to remove it and then snatched down my panties. I started to sob harder because I knew exactly what he was doing. He pulled down his boxer briefs and forced himself inside of me.  
  I begged him to stop as he tore into me. He released his hand from my neck and then turns me over so that my face was down in the comforter. He continued until he reached his climax and fell on top of my lifeless body. He didn’t say much to me, only whispered in my ear that he loved me and that was the only reason he was jealous like this.  I didn’t speak to him the rest of that night. That was the night that my heart turned cold and started to hate him. 
  That was a bad night, but tonight, I could deal with. Eric was getting ready to leave to go out with his friends as I finished touching up my makeup. “You look awful Maria, I think you should stay in and get some rest. I will be home later, don’t wait up.” I heard him calling before the door to our small ranch style home slammed shut. I was relieved that he was going to be gone for a while. A bath sounded so inviting as I undressed and turned the hot water on.  
  As I climbed into the tub I couldn’t help but notice the bruises on my legs and arms. Now that I was naked, everything that was impure seemed to stand out. I noticed on the upper part of my arm had four perfect dots in a row. It was Eric’s finger indentions. The sex with Eric use to be so passionate and loving but now it was rough and emotionless.  
  How could I still have love for him? How could I not want him dead? I couldn’t figure out why, maybe it was because I was holding on to the good inside of him still. He had been the only man I had shared my whole being with and I felt trapped and held back just thinking of life without him. 
  Chapter 3 
  I was twenty eight now, with no children. Most of my friends my age had at least one kid and were working on the second if they didn’t already have two. I thought about going to the doctor to find out if everything was fine since Eric and I hadn’t used protection for a year now and yet no babies. I wanted a child but I also knew that in our present state, that was the last thing we needed.  
  If I were to get pregnant Eric would use the baby against me and if I ever had the courage to leave him then he would try to get custody. I knew that he was not fit to be a father in his current condition. The truth was, I loved him so much that I thought in my head he would change if we brought a child into the world. I mean he didn’t use to be this way, who is to say he couldn’t go back to how he use to be and love me unconditionally and never want to hurt me again.  
  As I fluffed up some of the bubbles around me in the tub, I couldn’t help but remember the romantic night we had when we finally moved into this house. It was memories like these that made me continue to love him even through the hard times. 
  I came home from shopping for some things for the house and as soon as I walked in I started smiling. He had Marvin Gaye playing in the background and candles lit all around the house. There was a trail of rose petals leading to the bathroom where he was drawing up a bath for me. He looked irresistible with no shirt on and his one tattoo wrapping around his shoulders. His hair was a beautiful mess, and when he smiled at me I just melted.  
  He was the most amazing man in the world in my eyes.  Something about him made me love myself more. The vision of that day started to fade in my head as I snapped back to reality. Leaning my head back on the edge of the claw foot tub, I closed my eyes again and started to cry uncontrollably. 
  Chapter 4 
  It had been about a week since my breakdown in the bathtub and Eric seemed to be in a much better mood this week. We decided to plan a date night and go to one of my favourite restaurants in town. I was excited and rummaged through my closet for something nice to wear. I found a yellow sun dress and matched some dainty white sandals to complete the look. I straitened my long blonde hair and applied a little makeup.  
  My cheek was looking a lot better and with makeup it wasn’t very visible. Eric walked up behind me and kissed down my neck and shoulders. “I love you so much Maria,” he said to me in a loving soft tone. It was times like these when Eric was so amazing that he made all the bad go away. One happy moment like this could erase away all the bad ones before. I don’t know if it’s like that with everyone, but he had that power over me.  
  Once we arrived at the restaurant, Eric ordered a bottle of wine and romanced me all night. The restaurant we were at had a nice Italian feel and a small house band playing in the background. Eric convinced me to get up and dance with him in the magic of the moment.  
  While we dance he got on one knee with a ring in his hand and asked me to marry him. I was the happiest woman alive, well at least I seemed to be at the time. I said yes before I even thought about it and we slow dance and laughed for two strait songs.  It had been four years of dating, and I had waited for this day to come. I knew that once we were married he would respect me. In my head being his wife would make things so much different. He then paid the bill and we headed home.  
  	Once we made it to the house and walked up the front steps Eric said to me, “Take your dress off, I want to have you right here on the porch under the moonlight.”I thought that he must have had a little too much wine and I refused and tried to get him to go inside. I would consider myself reserved but Eric was different; he was demanding and always wanted to try new things sexually.  
  “Sweetie, we have neighbors, and I don’t feel comfortable doing that. Let’s just go inside and enjoy the rest of the evening, “I said to him as loving as I possibly could. “I think you should just what you’re told to do. I give you a ring and ask you to marry me and you can’t even do one thing for me?” When he said it like that, it made me second guess myself. He was right; I needed to be more spontaneous with him.  
  I must have been lost in thought because he pushed me towards the door giving into my request against his own wishes. Once we were inside behind the closed front door he backhanded me pushing me into the wall. "When I tell you to do something, I expect you to obey. You are my fiancé now and you will respect me!" He yelled. I was speechless. I thought the night was going so well and I didn’t understand what I had done to upset him so much.  
  He then whispered in my ear, "Take your dress off now." I gave into his game and slipped out of the sundress slowly. I just stared back into his empty eyes waiting on his next move. I knew the way he treated me was wrong, but some dark place inside of me needed his touch and needed to be owned the way only he could do. Yes I was defiantly sick in so many ways. 
  Eric walked around me in a circle like an animal stalking its prey. His voice called to me in a stern hard tone, "Get on your knees." I hesitated for a moment but did as he said. I was intoxicated by his glaring and wanted to know what he would do next.  
  Moments like these made me think that if I were to leave him, I would never find another man that would please me in this manner. He had made every fantasy I could ever imagine come to life and that was just another reason I needed him so.  
  I could hear him fidgeting with his zipper and then his pants and belt hit the floor. His hands were cold as he picked up my hips and brought my body close to his wrapping my legs around his waist. He then had his way with me like he had so many other times. I panted and moaned with him knowing that he enjoyed the game even more than I did. Once he climaxed, he left me to my thoughts as he went to shower.  
  As I sat up and leaned against the wall, I looked down at the ring he had given me only an hour or two before. It was beautiful. Vintage, with a nice size diamond and it had engraving on the inside that read, Always in my Heart. How could he do such sweet things and then be so evil at other times. The million dollar question had played through my mind so many times.  
  Chapter 5 
  The next few days seemed to be better. I thought that everything was actually close to perfect. That was until Eric started staying at work longer and working more often than before. He would always have a couple nights a week he went out with his friends, but I never minded much because he was home the other nights. Now that he was working more, it seemed like between work and his friends we were rarely together.  
  It was a Friday night and I had dinner ready waiting on Eric to get home from work. By the time that he got home dinner was cold and it was way past dark. I could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath and his steps weren’t as sober as he would have liked. I was fuming.  
  "How can you go out drinking after work knowing that I am sitting here waiting on you for dinner? You should have called!" I yelled at him. He wasn’t use to me raising my voice to him and obviously wasn’t happy about it. He came charging across the counter towards me. I stumbled out of his way just out of reach when he came at me again shoving me into the wall.  
  "Don’t you ever speak to me like that you ungrateful bitch!" He spat in my face. I held my hand up trying to block his fist as he tried to hit me. He wanted a fight and now he had one.  
  He knocked me off of my feet and drug me to the bedroom. I was kicking and fighting him the whole time but it was no use. He was a giant compared to me and much stronger. I could tell my lip was busted from the metallic taste that seeped around my mouth as he snatched me up and bend me over the bed pinning his weight on top of me.  
  In no time he had my shorts pulled down and his pants pooled around his feet as his massive erection invaded me without permission. I tried to get him off by clawing at his hands that pinned mine behind my back but he never stopped. He didn’t stop until his seed was dripping from me onto the bed that we had made love in so many times. My cheeks were stained with tears of anger as I felt overcome with shame and defeat. 
  We didn’t speak after that for several days. He would go about his way and I would do the same. I was hurt and wanted an apology of some sort; although I knew it wouldn’t be enough. I can’t tell you how many times I had packed that bag to leave but before I could get it zipped I would start to unpack it again. Why did I let him do this to me and why had I allowed him to own me like this. I was scared of life without him, even though I knew it would be so much better. 
  A few days later I scheduled an appointment with my gynaecologist to make sure everything was up to date and to also to talk to the doctor about my fertility. I didn’t tell Eric about my appointment for reasons I wasn’t sure of. The last thing I needed was for him to want to bring a child into the picture right now.  
  While taking a shower I let the hot water flow over my body. I watched as soap suds collected around the drain and I was once again lost in thought. My mind was telling me that I needed to get out, but my heart was very unwilling to listen. As my mind was racing I decided to shave my legs and pamper myself for a moment. I ran the razor up my leg as I examined a new bruise from the previous night’s encounter.  
  I was starting to hate myself for allowing him to win. Thinking back I remember the cold day he left to go on a business trip for two days and I had tried to overdose on pain pills to be set free from the hurt and disaster my life had become. I guess not even drugs would set me free though, because I went to sleep that night expecting never to wake up, but like clockwork my blaring alarm woke me the next morning.  
  Now instead of hurting myself, I caught myself thinking of poising him, or running away in the night, away from him and the life we had made together, but I knew that was unlikely because his love would overpower any thought I had of escape. I know I sounded pitiful but he had me right where he wanted me and I had let him win.  
  Chapter 6 
  On the day of my appointment I got up and got ready, looking forward to getting out and about. It was a beautiful day outside with no clouds in sight. There was a slight breeze and the trees were caressed by it as I hopped in my car. After having my exam at the doctor’s office, I awaited results.  The doctor walked in with a frown on his face. He took one look at my face and then looked away. He pulled out a pamphlet from my chart and handed it to me. The front of it read, 'How to handle life with Hepatitis'.”  
  A sickness started growing in my stomach. The realization of what was happening seemed to have punched me in the stomach harder than Eric ever had. What was the doctor saying? Eric had been my first and only partner in bed so I knew that if I had acquired an STD that it would be from him. Had he been cheating on me? Or did he know of this before we were together and never told me?  
  Seeming to read my mind the doctor stopped talking and got my attention, “Ms Sinclair, if you need to talk to someone, I know a great counsellor who has dealt with similar cases. I will give you her card.” I still didn’t respond to his statements. All I could do was tear up and stare into thin air.  
  He called after a nurse to come in and talk with me and answer any questions I had.  She was looking at me like I was a diseased dog or a leper.  I was ashamed and hurt. My stomach was screaming and all I wanted to do was get in my car and drive. 
  Driving home I debated to call Eric and tell him the news. I was wanted to kill him because so many signs had pointed to him cheating on me but I never would let myself believe it. Now I knew he had cheated. Not only had he cheated, but with some diseased whore.  
  The last appointment I had was a completely fine check up and no sign of any abnormalities, so knew that his affair had been within the last six months. I would confront him about this but I didn’t know how or when. I had never tried to actually leave him before but this was my breaking point. Before now it had all just been thoughts in my head that I would never let surface.  
  What would he do?  Would he fight me? Try to stop me? What would I do to him? In my present state I would likely kill him myself. I was angry; angrier than I had ever been before. I had learned that I had Hepatitis and that I would more than likely never be able to have children. I would have to always take medicine for my new found disease and it was his entire fault.  
  After I made it safely inside our home I couldn’t help but look around at the pictures on the walls and the memories we had made together over the years. All lies. I felt bile in the back of my throat as I realized what I had let this man do to me. I had let him defeat me and push me into a dark and disgusting corner. He had stripped me of everything I had ever stood for and he didn’t care. All these years I had never I would have revenge on him. I would not let him win this time. Not again.  
  Chapter 7 
  It had been several days since my appointment and I had yet to tell him the news that one of his sluts had given him Hepatitis. Over the last couple days every ounce of love that I had for him had transformed to hate.   
  I had a beautiful dinner laid out on our dining room table with candles burning. I made sure to wear sexy black lace lingerie under my clothing and have a bottle of wine on the table waiting for my bastard fiancé to come home. He never called anymore to say if he would be late or not so I wasn’t sure if he would be with one of his whores tonight or not before coming home to me.  
  I didn’t care at this point. It seemed like my love for him had been replaced with this vengeful emotion that burned my insides and needed release. That emotion had fuelled the night I had so carefully planned for him. I waited by the front door of our home for what seemed like an eternity before I finally saw his headlights pulling into the driveway. It was show time.  
  As Eric walked into the house with his formal business suit on I could smell the bourbon on his breath all the way across the room. I put on a fake smile and called to him in a chipper voice, "There’s my sweet fiancé. I made you supper and I even have some desert for you if you are a good boy." He looked at me a little suspicious but gave in.  
  He walked to the table to see his plate already made with one of his favorite dishes waiting on him. He pushed the plate away and dug a dagger in me saying, "It’s good to see that you are capable of having a civilized dinner waiting on me since you’re not good for much else." That son of a bitch. I tried not to pry the fork from his hand and stab him with it as he started to eat. I watched as he finished his food without saying thank you or complimenting me at all. That was fine, he would have plenty of time to think about how to make it up to me soon enough.  
  After dinner Eric went to shower and I looked through his discarded clothes after he had closed the shower door. I noticed in his boxers he had cum stains, probably from some slut that he was seeing behind my back. I wondered if it was the same one who gave him hepatitis. I didn’t know and didn’t care. I lay across the bed in nothing but my lingerie and waited for him to come out of the bathroom.  
  His eyes sparkled as he opened the door to see my body waiting on him. He walked towards me and asked, "Wow, what’s got you in such a willing mood tonight?" I give him a dirty little smile and pull out some handcuffs and dangle them over my head and respond with, "I was thinking you could let me satisfy you in every way possible tonight. I know I haven’t been as good to you as I should be, so let me make it up to you."  
  I don’t know when I became a master at lying but he believed every drop of poison coming out of my mouth and lay on the bed in position as I handcuffed his hands and feet to the bed frame. I was glad he had enjoyed some bourbon before coming home because had he been in his right mind, he wouldn’t have let me handcuff him so willingly. Eric was a control freak and would never have let me dominate him in sobriety. It was time to enjoy myself for a change.  
  He watched me with a huge grin on his face as I climbed off of the bed and grabbed one of the burning candles off of the dresser. I walked back over to him holding the candle above his chest. His grin demolished as he begged, "No! I don’t like wax Maria, you know that!" I just smiled as I started pouring the wax from one nipple to the other. He screamed like a little bitch. He was trying to get loose but I knew that he would have no luck. It was time for me to say all the things I had wanted to say over the past four years.  
  "How many are there Eric? Over the years, how many girls have you screwed behind my back?" He was pleading with his eyes and trying to deny my accusations but I continued to speak ignoring his pleading, "All this time I sat here taking your beatings, cooking your supper, cleaning your house, tending to your dirty dick, and the whole time you have used me and cheated on me. Well it finally caught up to you." I poured the remaining hot wax on his genitals as he screamed again. I walked over to his clothes and snatched a belt out of the pants he had previously worn.  
  He started to panic, "Maria what are you doing!? Calm down! I never cheated on you, I promise baby. I would never do that!" I knew he was lying, and I was done with the lies. I said to him, "I am going to ask you one more time and if you lie to me then I am going to beat you with this belt until you tell me the truth." He just stared at me as I asked again, "How many women have you slept with since we have been together?"  
  He was slow to respond but continued with his original story, "I haven’t cheated on you Maria, I promise." I didn’t hesitate as popped the belt across his stomach leaving an instant red mark as he screamed at the top of his lungs. Before giving him a chance to say another word I slapped him again across his upper thighs. I couldn’t help but laugh at his yelps of pain.  
  All I could think of was all the times that he broke me and how screwed up I would be for the rest of my life because of him. He deserved this. He deserved this pain and so much more. "I am going to ask you again, how many others were there?" He thought carefully before he spoke this time, "Only one, but I ended it a while back." Lies, lies, and more lies.  
  I slapped him with the belt again over and over hitting his legs, stomach, genitals and chest until he was screaming, "OK I WILL TELL YOU!!" I stopped for a moment to hear him out. "There were 3 different women. I am still seeing one of them. I saw her tonight before I came home. Maria I am so sorry and it will never happen again."  
  Strangely enough, I believed that he was telling the truth about the number of women he had cheated with. I stared into his eyes as the desperation filled the room. I saw in his eyes that he realized he no longer owned me. This time, he had lost and he knew it. 
  I dropped the belt and slapped him in the face with my bare hand and said all to calmly, "I hope you rot with your whores. And by the way, one of them gave you hepatitis. I know this because you gave it to me. You gave hepatitis to the woman who loved you and was always faithful and forgiving to you.” I bowed my head for a moment before continuing.  
  “Now that woman is going to walk out that door with her things and she is never coming back. You on the other hand, are going to lay here until I decide to call the fire department to come get you. By then you will be in a pile of your own bowel since your food was full of laxatives.” His expression was to kill for. I then proceeded to take his cell phone and take a picture of him on our bed in the nude and send it to every contact in his phone including his business contacts. I couldn’t help but smile. 
  I turned and dressed very slowly in front of him.  I didn’t bother to look back as I walked out of our bedroom, down the hall, and out the front door. Since I had already packed all of my things into my car and emptied all of the money out of our accounts I had no need to waste any time before hitting the road.  
  The crystal clear sky was pleasant as the stars shined down on my car’s hood. I looked one last time at my old life before putting the car in drive and driving into my future, far away from Eric Lee and his lies.  
  END 
  Thank you for taking the time to read my book.  Please take a moment to leave a comment at the site from which you downloaded.  All feedback is appreciated! 
   
   
   Text: Copyright 2013 by Stacie Heald All rights reserved. Publication Date: February 6th 2013 https://www.bookrix.com/-staciemd87