Turning A New Leaf

Thirty-One

Home. Brooke wanted to be anywhere other than home. However, where could she go? She was visibly battered and feared the stares of strangers in public. She also didn't want those close to her to know what she'd been through. She was humiliated that her marriage had gotten to that point.

Brad was in jail. Their marriage was ending. He had a pregnant mistress and had battered her while high on drugs. It sounded like someone else's life.

Brooke had taken two weeks of personal time off to heal. She couldn't have her staff and clients seeing her in that condition. She didn't want them looking at her with pity. It was bad enough the neighbors knew what happened and had seen Brad fighting with the police in the driveway. They watched him get tased, their phones out recording.

The hardest part was convincing herself that she no longer loved Brad because she did. She loved the man she'd married, not the violent drug addict who'd not just beaten her or strangled her but had also raped her during the attack. Twice.

When police and medical staff had questioned her, they'd all asked her if she needed a rape kit done. Brooke had shaken her head, stating there was no need to as they'd had consensual sex before his attack.

They knew she was lying; they all saw the bruising on her inner thighs, and it was apparent what had happened. Brooke wasn't sure why admitting that he'd raped her had been more challenging than acknowledging that he'd strangled her.

****

Brooke was lying on the sofa with her cat, Purrcious, when the doorbell rang. She sat up carefully, setting Purrcious aside and slowly reaching for her phone to check the Ring app. She could see Atira standing on the covered porch, holding a bouquet of tropical flowers and a Starbucks cup.

Slowly, Brooke climbed to her feet and walked to the front door. "Hey," Brooke gave her sister-in-law a small smile.

Atira was visibly horrified at Brooke's condition but forced a smile. She handed Brooke the flowers and Starbucks, "I got these for you," she told her quietly.

Tears formed in Brooke's eyes, "Thank you, they're beautiful," she told her politely and moved aside, "You're welcome to come in if you'd like."

Atira entered the home, half expecting to see it in a state of disarray due to what had happened, but found it immaculate.

She'd been told, to an extent, Brooke's injuries but was not prepared to see her face so bruised and swollen that she was nearly unrecognizable. Both of her eyes were black and almost closed, her nose wide, slightly off-center, and in various hues of blue, purple, and yellow. On her slender neck were multiple bruises, including what appeared to be thumbprint marks from when Brad had strangled her. If Brooke hadn't worn a long-sleeved top and full pants, Atira would have seen the defense marks along her limbs.

Atira felt sick to think that those injuries had all been caused by Brad, who had seemingly been so mild-mannered and easygoing before he'd ended up on meth.

Brooke put the bouquet in a vase with some water before seating herself in the living room. The two women sat by the side on the sofa. The gold-coated Purrcious hopped up next to Atira, head-butting her affectionately. Atira scooped him into her arms, not caring about how much hair would adorn her black sweater, "Well, aren't you sweet?" She asked the cat, smiling. "He is such a love bug,"

Brooke smiled. It was a genuine smile this time, "He's my baby." Purrcious, as though understanding what his owner (or mom) had said, turned to look at Brooke, blinking slowly and purring.

"Gosh, if Krist weren't so anti-pets, I'd totally get a Persian someday. He tolerates Jacques because I had him already, but he definitely would not let me get another cat," she told Brooke.

"Brad isn't much of an animal person either," Brooke said.

"That's no fun. Is it because of the hair? That's Krist's thing."

Brooke nodded, "The hair, the smell, the poop. All of it," she laughed softly, pausing for a moment. "Has Brad tried to call Krist or Linda?"

Atira stroked Purrcious' thick fur, "I know he hasn't tried to call Krist. If he did, I don't see Krist picking up or accepting the call. They don't get along on the best of days, and after what he did to you, Krist wants to kick his ass."

Brooke's eyes went wide, "He said that?"

"Pretty much, in uglier words, but yeah, he's super upset about that. Everyone is. Krist said Brad will probably face prison time with the charges they put on him."

A pang of guilt stabbed Brooke in the chest. Why did she feel guilty? The only mistake she'd made was marrying someone who was a complete stranger.

"He really thinks Brad will go to prison?" Brooke asked meekly.

Atira nodded and looked at Brooke, her eyes soft, "I'm not a legal expert, but honestly, just seeing...seeing how you look, I think he deserves it."

Tears spilled over Brooke's cheeks, "Atira, I don't even know when things when got so bad. He's been different for about two years? I knew he was sleeping with other women. I just...didn't want to admit it."

Atira placed a hand gently on Brooke's arm, "Honey, I am so sorry."

Brooke looked at her with her bruised eyes, "One of them came to the house yesterday. She's pregnant."

"Oh my word,"  Atira replied, appalled.

"So that's kind of what kicked all of this..." she waved her hand, "off. He'd been gone for nearly two days when she showed up. I packed his things, and he came home as I was doing so. And then he..."

Atira nodded, "My gosh, Brooke. I just..I can't even wrap my head around it."

"I lived it and still can't myself. You know, and the worst part about it is that somehow I still love him. We have been together for nearly ten years now. How do you just stop loving someone?"

"I don't even know, honey. It's hard. I'd imagine that it's hard to let go of the good memories and the part of them that is the person you fell in love with," Atira said softly.

Brooke nodded, sipping the coffee Atira had given her. "That's where I am at now. I still love the Brad that I know, not the drug addict." She looked to Atira, "Has Krist ever...has he ever been physical with you? Brad had told me something about him, but I wasn't sure if it was just the past..or something he still does."

Atira shook her head, "Never." She hesitated for a moment, remembering the things Cami had told her when he'd relapsed. "He's never done anything like that to me, I should say." Atira swallowed hard, feeling a pang of guilt to even admit it. "Before we got back together, I guess when he was actively using..he was abusive to...to Lainey...gosh, don't tell anyone I told you this, but Cami told me Krist knocked her teeth out."

The two women sat in an uncomfortable silence, "Do you ever worry about...that?" Brooke asked her.

Atira sighed, wrapping her arms around her midsection as though hugging herself. "Yes and no? As long as he stays clean, I'm not worried. If he starts using again...I don't know. Cami told me that she'd seen him, I guess, like, snap? I don't know how else to describe it, but she said he was super high and like..not all there, and he started punching Lainey in the face. But that he was mentally checked out?"

Brooke nodded, her eyes widening, "That's exactly what happened with Brad. He was gone. I've never been so scared in my life, Atira. When I realized that fighting him off wouldn't stop him, I tried talking to him. I told him to stop, it's me-your wife, that I loved him, but I needed him to stop...but he kept ra..." she couldn't finish the word even.

"He raped you?" Atira whispered, her eyebrows knitted together in concern.

Brooke let out a muffled sob, nodding. Atira pulled her into her arms and held her like one would a child, fighting back tears as Brooke wept.