A MARRIAGE WORTH DESTROYING (The Price of Power)

Claire

I walked out of the courtroom with the papers in my hand. It was hard to believe that I finally took the hard decision to let go of him.

I tried not to think about the negative part of what I had just done. I kept on congratulating myself for stepping out of that abusive man.

I crossed the roadside and immediately got into the public transit and began heading home. It should rather be called a place that I once lived.

His spoilt guitar that was outside the house made me nervous. I did not want to overthink.

All I wanted was to live in the moment.

I exhaled as I walked towards the door. The trauma and memories were still there.

I shook my head as I opened the door. I entered and saw him seated on the couch with the remote in his hand.

All I wanted to do was to go in and continue packing up my property, as I was about to leave for good. He caused me to stop.

"Where are you coming from and why weren't you picking up your call, you ugly wh*r*?" Devon, my baby daddy, said to me with a strong tone and his dilated pupils focused on me.

"My phone was silent," I answered him simply, regardless of his immediate abuse. I did not want to be seen speaking to him because he was a monster to me.

The more I spoke to him, the more I remembered all the pain he inflicted on. All I have been enduring. He was an actual beast.

He went further to ask me the reason why I would go out and silence my phone.

"You know that I know you very well, and I know all you have been up to, but as far as you are under my roof, you are going to obey my rules," Devon said, pointing his fingers at me.

"Listen to me, Devon. I was at the courtroom and that was why I had to silence my phone. And you remember that I am an individual who has the right to do whatever I want to do."

News flash to him, he had been ordered not to lay his hands on me by the court after the last beating not quite long ago.

That was what had motivated my decision to step out of violence.

I knew that my response to him would come as a shock. And I had to remind him that I was a free person now.

After I had given him a piece of my mind, I went into my room and locked the door behind me.

I was breathing hard as though I had done something that I had never done before. It was such a nervous feeling.

It would be my first time of telling him what I had in mind since I officially moved in with him three years ago.

With my left hand on my chest and my eyes closed tightly, I sat down on my bed for some seconds until I could put myself together.

My breathing steadied. Then I brought out the restriction order I had gotten from the attorney's office.

Staring at it for some seconds, I felt the need to sign it because I knew who Devon was. I had known him even before I foolishly fell into his trap.

He was never straightforward, and he was so manipulative.

My hand reached for the pen I had on the table. And without reading it for the second time. I signed it.

Devon's signature was needed to complete the document, which I would be returning to the court.

And so, I got up with my pen and the restriction letter.

Handing it over to Devon, who was seated angrily in the living room, he questioned what he was using it for.

"This is the restriction order I got from the court, and it demands your signature as well," I responded, also giving him the pen.

He hesitated, but then out of pride he hijacked the pen and intended signing immediately, but he stopped.

"Do you think your paper can save you? A restriction order from the court, Claire. How pathetic you are. But listen to me, I promise you that you are not going to go free, and you will come back begging. Never do well. I am not signing this till I read it properly," he said and gave it back.

I wasn't going to take it from him either. I explained the letter to him.

"It is nothing difficult to do. All that is written in there is for you to stay away from me and also vice versa. I can read it for you if you want me to," I felt a flicker of boldness through my fear.

"You know what, I'm busy right now, so I am going to read it whenever I am less busy. Can't wait to get you out of my life," Devon spoke as if I was his problem, but I wasn't.

So, I left him alone with just a sentence, "An important message there also reads that it should be signed within three days."

I closed my room's door.

"Come and say that to my face you stupid Claire," Devon yelled from the living room but I ignored him.

Looking around my room, I realized that almost everything had gone into the bags. It was just a few more items to be packed up. I went straight to finish up the job that I had already started.

I picked up a diary. I used to write on it everything that Devon does to me and the dates of each miserable day of my life which he caused me.

"Listen to me, you b*tch, you are the worst thing that ever crossed my path and I'm going to take you out." Those were what he told me the last time he hit me.

My hands could not let the diary go without opening it. But I resisted. I did not want to begin drowning in sorrow. The diary was something I would definitely keep.

The feeling of wholeness had returned to me until my phone rang from my bag.

I reached out to see a call from Matthew.

I was nervous. Thinking of what could make him call me, I couldn't find a befitting reason for it.

It wouldn't be exaggerated if I say I haven't spoken to my only brother in two years.

"Listen to me, I hate you and I don't ever wanna speak to you," those were the last words he told me years back. And since then he had been keeping to his words. But what changed?

I picked up my phone and took the call.

Claire

I took a deep breath before putting the phone in my ear. I did not know if I should say a word to him or just here him out. I just had to listen. I remained silent.

"What do you gain from creating issues, Claire? You still insisted on leaving him after all that you have done. Just start coming to the hospital right now," Matthew said. He didn't let me respond before hanging up the call.

What exactly could be the reason for his anger? I have always avoided crossing his lane, as he had warned me years back.

The way he mentioned Devon made me uneasy. But that wasn't my problem at the moment. I always get nervous anytime it has to do with the hospital.

Matthew's call left me reeling. I had no idea what he meant, and pressure always disoriented me.

I held my phone, clueless, wondering what could be wrong.

I decided to go to the hospital, but which one?

I paced the room, scrambli