The Scarred Wife's Racing Five

POV Holly “You are a f*cking liar!” Ryan shouted as the belt buckle slammed into my shaking body. I was covered in bruises from the last fight we had, and now he’s just hitting me for no reason! I made sure to do everything right today. I’m so close to running, I didn’t want to run with broken bones. “I don’t know what you are talking about!” I screamed, and he slammed the buckle on my arms before punching my cheek. “You lying, cheating w***e!” He shouted again, and my face paled. “Cheating? The hell are you talking about?!” I pressed again. I know this was a losing battle, but I didn’t care. I had to try. “You! You cheated on me with my best friend! Did you think I wouldn’t have known about it? He’s been bragging to me how good you are in bed! Rubbing it in my face that he says he’s better than me in every way. He screwed my wife right under my nose and the two of you think you can just skip off to a happily ever after?! Not on my watch!” He bellowed before kicking me in the stomach, smashing his heel on my knee, and slamming the buckle into my hip. I screamed as he continued to wail into my body. I don’t know if I’m going to make it through this time. Ryan’s friend, Todd, was the only one who seemed to care about me and my situation. I cannot believe he was lying to my face while he consoled me. I trusted him and now, because of him, I’m getting one of the worst beatings of my life! I haven’t been battered this bad since…. I felt the blood drain from my face as I tried to push the flashbacks away. A panic attack isn’t going to help me in this situation! I need to fight it. I can fight it. I don’t need either of these a*sholes! Honestly, it would have been easier if he just hated me and made fun of me like Ryan’s other friends, but no…no…. He gave me hope. Bastard! “Then, he tells me you are hiding money from me?!” Great. Why am I not surprised he told him about that too? “I don’t have any money!” I heaved as I tried to crawl towards the wall. “Lying again!” He shouted and lunged for me, but this time, a glimmer of hope crossed my swollen vision. “Give me what you stole from me, or I’ll kill you right here! Right now!” He spat. An icy laugh bubbled from my chest as I watched this raging lunatic. “What? Just so you can gamble it all away?! Go ahead and kill me. You won’t find the supposed money without me anyway.” I shot back, and his bloodshot eyes grew vicious instantly. The vase his mother gave us for our wedding was resting right behind me and I knew I could reach it. I had to reach it or this time I really would be dead. I screamed as I grabbed the ceramic and slammed it over his head. He groaned before his body laid limp on the ground twitching beneath the blood pooling from his head and shattered pottery littering the floor. I heaved as the pain from this beating consumed me, but I didn’t have time. He was unconscious. This was my only chance. However, I paused for a second. Just for one second. All of this suffering would end completely if I just let him kill me. Why didn’t I just let him kill me? I felt my body shaking again, but I bit my tongue to pull my body back into reality. “Get your sh*t together Holly!” I huffed. “Don’t let him win.” Pep talk. Yeah, that’s it. I crawled to my feet and glared down at the lump of a man before I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I pulled the dated model out and stared at the cracked screen. Congratulations, your paperwork has been approved by the courts and is ready for signatures. Finally! Finally…my freedom won’t just be running for my life forever. I gasped and quickly signed my name and Ryan’s on the pdf before printing it. What’s he going to do? Sue me for falsifying documents? The man can’t even say his own name correctly when he’s this drunk. No one will believe him over me. I will be free. No matter what I have to do to get there. I grabbed the papers off of Ryan’s desk and raced up to our room. He cannot hurt me anymore. It’s time to run. Maybe even find peace. But…do I deserve peace? The raging war in my head was pounding against my skull. Hobbling on one foot and using the other for most of my weight, I grabbed the duffle I’d hidden under the bed two weeks ago, then snatched the small backpack hidden behind a chest in the closet. I checked to make sure the money was still there, before slipping on a pair of boots and a worn jacket. I was careful not to scream from the contact against my wounds. Slamming the documents on our dresser, I stared in complete satisfaction. There was still silence in the house so he couldn’t have woken up already. Grunting, I yanked my rings from my finger and tossed them over the stack of papers. When I was finished, I didn’t bother to check my face in the vanity mirror to see if I was too horrible to look at. I just grabbed Ryan’s keys off of his nightstand and raced down the stairs as fast as my injuries would allow. I limped out into the driveway, flipping off the shambles of a house I’d lived in for five years. As I climbed into the truck, I let out a sound that seemed like a pained laugh mixed with a scream as the rusted door slammed shut next to me. I can do this. I can keep going! I started the old pickup and peeled out of the driveway. My foot smashed to the floor as I entered the highway. I continued to push the truck until a plume of smoke poured from the engine bay. “No…no…please no.” I begged. I haven’t even made it to the town border! Another cough was heard, and I slammed my hands on the steering wheel. That man can’t even fix his own car! What possessed me to stay this long? I must have been crazy! The truck heaved before I heard the engine completely cut out and the RPMs dropped to zero. “F*ck! No!” I turned on my hazards and let the car roll to a stop on the side of the road. I stared at the darkness ahead of me as tears started to fall. This cannot be why I was able to escape. God must be laughing at my torture right now. I kicked the door open and walked around the steaming garbage fire that is this stupid truck! The minute I tried to pull open the hood, I felt the white-hot metal singe my skin. “Dammit!” I screamed again before kicking the grill with all my might. Screw it. I was already injured. Taking out my frustration won’t make it worse. I continued to stare into nothing as the silent tears fell down my cheeks. I know crying won’t help, but neither will a busted-up vehicle! As I was about to give up, a flash of light appeared from behind me. Great, looks like someone has already found me. The car slowed to a stop and I held my own the best I could. I cannot look as bad as I feel right now. It won’t help. A tall, lean man stepped out of the driver’s side. He was wearing a crisp suit and his brown hair was slicked back to make him look like some kind of business mogul. He definitely didn’t belong in this one horse town. “Who the hell are you?” I croaked, and he walked up to stare down at me. I guess he really was tall. I’m not short in any way, but if this man is towering over my 5’7 frame, he has to be at least 6’5 himself. “What happened?” He asked, completely ignoring my question and turning his gaze to the truck. Whatever. What do I have to lose?