He laughed and took a sip from another bottle of liquor. The stench of him was horrible. He reeked and I had to cover my nose with my hand to keep from getting sick. My body was still wet from being in the pool and I didn’t have any shoes on. If I tried to jump out, he’d just come back and get me again. I didn’t have a phone, or any means of signaling anyone for help.
I kept watching the mirror, thinking I’d see Brooks running out into the middle of the street. We turned the corner and I knew it was too late. Even if he came in to check on me, I was already gone.
Soon he would have to explain to the family about who Bobby was and why my life was probably in danger. “How did you find me? I never told you their address.”
“That was easy. I listened to your messages from that girl Melissa. Once I knew where you were, I looked up the Valentine’s address. There ain’t that many Danica Valentines around, Katy. Did you think you could hide from me? I’ll find you, no matter where you go. There ain’t no way I’m lettin’ my wife shack up with some other man without her bein’ taught a lesson. When I’m done with you, he’ll never want you again.”
I cried harder and leaned my head against the window. Bobby reached over and touched my leg. I pulled away quickly, not wanting his hands on me. “Don’t touch me!”
The back of his hand made contact with my face. “Talk to me like that again and you’ll be sorry.”
I’d had enough already. “I hate you. Anything I ever felt for you is gone.”
He grabbed my shoulder and the truck started swerving around the road. “What did you say?”
I shoved him off of me and watched as he steadied the vehicle. “I said I hate you. You’re never going to see my daughter, Bobby. There’s no way Brooks will let you near her. Everything that’s happening to you is because of your actions. You did this to yourself.”
“You can’t keep her from me. I’ll take your ass to court. I’ll prove you to be unfit. I have the whole damn town on my side. How do you plan on winning when I grew up with the damn judge’s kids? It’s my word against yours. All they’re goin’ to see is my cheating wife trying to move her lover in. Mark my word, I’ll be in her life. You think that you can just replace me? I’ve done everything for you, you ungrateful little bitch.”
His punch hit my arm instead of my face. I covered the spot with my hand as the pain throbbed. My sobs were loud, but nobody could hear them. I kept closing my eyes and feeling comfort in knowing that my baby was safe from this monster. “What happened to you? I don’t even know you. What happened to the man that cared about people?”
“What happened? Are you kiddin’ me? You happened. I gave you my heart and you ripped it apart; you and that soldier. You’re my wife, Katy. You said those vows to me.”
“You married me as my friend. I didn’t love you and you knew it. I tried, but I can’t help it that you’re not Brooks. You’ll never be him, Bobby, and you know it.”
He slapped me again, but this time I held up my hands, blocking him from making contact with my face. The sting from the first blow was still lingering, but I wasn’t concerned about it. What I was concerned about was his determination to hurt me. The more he tried, the more angry I became.
This man was trying to take away my happiness. After everything I’d gone through; all of the pain that I’d suffered in my life, he was trying to hurt me more.
Something inside of me snapped. No longer was I going to sit there and take it. It was up to me to save myself and my future. I was going to have to make a desperate move, fueled by my fear of losing everything.
While he took one glance back at the road, I took the bottle of bourbon on the seat between us and slammed it into the side of his face. His head hit the window as the bottle shattered, knocking him unconscious. I tried to reach for the steering wheel and get my foot up to the brake, but we were already heading straight into oncoming traffic. I closed my eyes and turned the wheel hard to avoid hitting the cars. That’s when the truck lost control.
Maybe I should have considered that he wouldn’t just stop the car, or that hitting him would cause him to lose control of the moving vehicle. At that moment all I cared about was hurting him.
I wanted him to feel what it was like to have someone take out their anger on his face. I wanted him to hurt, like he’d repeatedly hurt me.
I suppose if I was buckled into my seat belt it would have been easier to withstand injuries. I remember the vehicle flipping three times before landing upside down. Traffic stopped on both sides of the road and I could hear the people calling in asking if we were alright. My body was tangled up against the ceiling, while Bobby hung unconscious in his seat belt. I tried to scoot myself away from him, but I couldn’t move.