Bruised And Betrayed

6 Years Ago: Alyssa Connor's POV

They’d lost her paperwork. Meaning she’d have to stay with him another 4 to 5 weeks. That was, if he didn’t find out she was going to leave him and decided to kill her first. Alyssa’s hands shook, and she clasped them together to make it less noticeable.
“Th-thank you,” she stuttered, looking at her feet and avoiding the eyes of the lady behind the desk. Quickly standing up, she turned around to leave, knowing it was only a matter of minutes before he called asking how work was and when she’d be home.
“Alyssa?” The lady asked. Alyssa stopped, turning slightly, still avoiding eye contact. “Can you come back here the day after tomorrow? I’ll make sure we have new papers drawn up and processed by then. All you’ll need to bring is yourself and the name you’ll want to change to. I can send someone to your house if there is anything you need from there…” she trailed off as Alyssa shook her head violently.
“Thank you, I’ll be here, but there is no need to send anyone there. I’ll bring everything I’ll need.” She said, trembling slightly. “Thank you, I have to go now.” She quickly walked away, unaware of the woman’s silent tears streaming down her face for her. Alyssa ran, making it to the bus stop right as the bus pulled up. Climbing on, she paid the fee and sat in the back, hiding herself in the farthest corner. She pulled her hoodie’s hood up, covering her blonde hair from view as her right leg bounced nervously. Looking at her watch, the time was 5:28 pm. Karson would be calling in exactly 2 minutes.
The cars blurred as she looked out the window, tears clouding her vision. Tears of joy from knowing her escape was soon, and tears of pure terror knowing he could find out and stop her. Her fingers itched to call Jain, but knowing that she had slept with Karson stopped her.
BEEP BEEP BEEP. BEEP BEEP BEEP. Her phone rang at exactly 5:30 pm, and she quickly wiped her tears and cleared her throat.
“Hello? How was your day? Where are you?” Karson’s deep, irritated voice came through the other side. Internally, Alyssa was terrified, knowing that if she couldn’t placate him right now she’d be getting hit first thing when she walked through the front door.
“Hey baby!” She said cheerily, but with enough exhaustion in her voice to show she was tired from work. She’d become an excellent actress in the 4 years she’d been with him. “Work was hectic today, and I’m on the bus headed home right now. We just passed Madison Rd. so I’ll be home in approximately 10 minutes, baby. How was your day? Are you ok?” She counted to 7, knowing he’d respond in 7 seconds.
1… she focused on his breathing. It was slow. 2… he was watching football. She could hear the announcer in the background. 3… The bus rumbled beneath her, rocking her into a lull she couldn’t trust. 4… She blinked, having not done so since he called. 5… his breathing was still slow and steady. 6… he just took a deep breath, as if filling his lungs to start yelling. 7… She cringed, waiting for his response, staring unseeingly out the window.
“My day was ok, besides worrying about when you’d be home,” He sighed, sounding resigned. Alyssa breathed a silent sigh of relief. Karson continued, “I really wish you didn’t have to work baby. You know I would work if I could, and then you could stay at home and relax. I miss you during the day when you’re not here.”
Alyssa almost rolled her eyes. He missed beating on her, and using her body for his own pleasure. He could work if he chose to. He was just lazy, and preferred to live off his allowance from his deceased mother. Oh, and he loved his alcohol.
“I miss you too.” She said, adding a small amount of whine to her tone. The bus jerked to a stop, and as she got off, she waved goodbye to the driver, a tradition she’d begun after Karson started beating on her, just in case it was her last ride. “Baby, I just stepped off of the bus. I’ll be home in 2 minutes.”
“When you come inside, grab me a beer out of the fridge. I’m in the living room.”
“Of course.” She said, pausing to move a small stone away from the driveway, knowing he hated anything that made his yard look cluttered. Walking inside the small 1 story building, she winced at the smell. While he hated his yard having even the smallest piece of clutter, his house was full of it; beer bottles scattered everywhere, trash and bottle caps strewn on every surface. Taking off her tennis shoes by the door, she padded into the kitchen and grabbed his beer out of the fridge, being careful not to step on the shattered glass covering the corner of the kitchen. He’d gotten upset the night before, and had thrown a half-empty beer bottle at her.
He hung up the phone when she brought him his beer, pulling her into his lap. Covering her cringe of disgust and fear, Alyssa sank into him. He kissed her and she kissed him back. His hands started roaming up her sweatshirt and under her waistband, which was when she disconnected from herself. Alyssa moaned at the times when she knew he expected it. She rode him like she knew he liked. She faked her release, and when he pulled out, she cleaned him like he wanted.
In her mind she repeated ‘1 more day. Just one more day, and then I’m free.’ When he fell asleep in his chair, she dressed and headed to bed, keeping thoughts of her freedom in her mind. ‘In less than 48 hours, I will be Violet Mystik, and I will be free!’ And with that thought, she fell asleep, a small smile on her face, and a glimmer of bright hope burning inside her chest.