Chapter 4
My son showed up with my husband while I was working the food cart.
Said Jenna’s finals were coming up. They wanted to “check in.”
I knew right then what was happening.
I called Diane. Told her to take Jenna out to dinner. Don’t come back till I say so.
I waited from morning till night. The apartment filled with cigarette smoke.
“Where the hell are they?!”
“City schools run late. She won’t be done till ten.”
My son lost patience. Kicked the chair.
“Ma, the girl I’ve been seeing is getting engaged to someone else. Her dad wants cash now or he’s marrying her off.”
“I can’t wait around anymore. Let Jenna get married. Girls her age already have kids. What’s she got to complain about?”
“I won’t let anyone treat her bad. If some guy lays a hand on her, I’ll handle it myself!”
I stared at him. Then I laughed–quiet, bitter.
“Jenna’s not getting married. She’s finishing school. She’s going to college.”
“If she doesn’t get in this year, she’ll try again. And again. However long it takes,”
Everything after that turned ugly.
My husband’s fists came fast. He was yelling that I’d lost my damn mind.
My son stood at the door. Watching. Eyes cold. Silent.
Sirens outside. Someone had called the cops.
At the station, my husband kept screaming. My son tried holding him back.
“Why are you arresting me? She’s my wife! What I do in my own house is my business!”
“Dad, shut up! This is assault! Stop talking!”
So he knew what to call it.
Of course he did. He’d spent years working in the city.
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So You Wanted Me Gone? The Comedy Show from My Ghost Perch Is Savage!
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Chapter 4
But he
came back here anyway. Played along. Bled me dry.
“Ma, you really gonna let me catch a charge? You play favorites, but this is insane.”
“Fine. I won’t touch Jenna. Just tell them it was nothing.”
I didn’t move. Told the cops exactly what happened.
They held them both for seven days.
I looked at myself in the mirror–bruised, swollen, barely recognizable. Then I cleaned the apartment. Made it look normal again.
I called Jenna. Told her I had to deal with something back home. Don’t worry. Just focus on your test.
She was quiet, like always. Finally said, “Okay.”
I asked Diane to stay with her. Take her to the exam. Make sure she had someone there.
Diane saw my face and started crying. “Why do you keep doing this? You get nothing from it. And she still hates you.”
I thought about my mother. Her voice humming softly in the dark.
She wanted me to finish school. To get out.
I didn’t understand back then. Now I wanted the same for my daughter.
“Diane, my life’s already wrecked. Jenna’s doesn’t have to be.”
“I know her. If she finds out, she won’t stay focused. She’ll try to protect me. She’ll put herself between me and them. That’s
who she is.”
“But I don’t want that. I want her in college. Working somewhere far away. Never living like this.”
I smiled faintly. “Diane, I’m filing for divorce.”
I gave Diane everything I’d saved. Told her to keep Jenna away after exams. Don’t let her come back here.
Around here, women don’t divorce. They endure till they’re widows.
A divorced woman has nowhere to go. Her family won’t take her back.
She’s damaged goods. Bad luck.
I pushed for it anyway. Made a scene. Fought tooth and nail.
This was my only shot. I wasn’t giving up.
I won.
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So You Wanted Me Gone? The Comedy Show from My Ghost Perch Is Savage!
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Chapter 4
But there was a condition: I had to pay what they wanted for my son’s wedding. Right now.
My husband smiled–cold, vicious.
The wind hit my face. Stung my eyes.
Felt like I’d never had any luck. Like I’d never escape this place.
Then someone grabbed my wrist.
A thin figure stepped in front of me.
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from My Chost Perch Is Savage!
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
