Enough is Enough- A Reddie Short Story

Chapter Two

One hour ago...

Max had stormed into her office, almost sending the door flying off its hinges in his rage. Rachel stared at him. She knew exactly what had made him so angry, and she didn't care.

"What can I do for you, Max?" She asked sarcastically, keeping her demeanour calm and confident

Max glared at her, fury burning in his eyes.

"Don't do that Rachel, you know exactly what this is about! Kim has finished with me because you told her about my wife, are you happy now?" He snarled

"Kim is my friend, Max. She had a right to know about you and Jenny, I'm sorry you felt otherwise" she shrugged, refusing to make eye contact with him

She stood up, moving over to the cabinet to put a file away. Max lunged for her, grabbing her by the wrist and pushing her up against the wall hard, pinning her there so she couldn't move. She whimpered, the sudden movement knocking the breath out of her.

Max's cold eyes drilled into her own as she desperately tried to push him off. He was pressing on her ribs so tightly with his elbow, she was struggling to breathe.

"You think this is funny, Rachel? You had no right interfering in my private life!" he spat

"GET OFF ME!" She screamed, scratching at him

His fist came into contact with her face, flying into her nose. The impact took her by surprise as she hit the back of her head on the wall behind her, losing her balance and catching her forehead on the desk as she fell. She felt her wrist snap in two as she put her arms out in attempt to catch herself. Blood was pouring from her nose and into her mouth as she groaned in pain. She lay curled up in a ball on the floor, Max standing over her.

"You're finished, Rachel" he hissed, turning away from her and disappearing from view

Rachel stayed on the floor, unable to move. It felt like a huge, heavy weight was pinning her body down, paralysing her. The pain was overwhelming. The room was spinning, her vision shifting in and out of focus.

She heard footsteps moving toward her. She whimpered, hoping it wasn't Max coming to finish her off.

A guilt- riddled Kim walked into the office. Rachel had been right about Max this whole time, and she hadn't listened. She owed her friend an apology.

"Rachel I need to-"

Her eyes fell on Rachel, crumpled in a ball on the floor, shaking in pain. She gasped in horror, sinking to her knees beside her.

"Oh my god! Rachel! Are you ok?" She panicked

Rachel groaned, carefully lifting her head. She looked at Kim, relief flooding through her.

"Kim" she whimpered, lying back down on the floor

Kim put a hand to her mouth when she saw the damage to Rachel's face. The blood smeared across it, the bruises already forming.

"Did Max do this?" Kim asked shakily

"Kim,"

"Rachel, did Max do this?" Kim repeated

Rachel nodded gently, wincing at the pain shooting through her head.

"I'm calling an Ambulance, and then the Police" Kim decided, pulling out her phone

"No" Rachel moaned

"Rachel, you've been attacked! Another member of staff has assaulted you! You can't let him get away with this! And you need to be checked over!" Kim argued

"I'm fine, Kim" Rachel grumbled, pulling herself up slowly into a sitting position

"No, you're not!" Kim protested

Rachel was adamant she wasn't going to Hospital, and she wasn't reporting Max to the Police. She didn't need to. All she wanted was to go home.

"Look, just help me up" Rachel requested

Kim sighed, gently pulling Rachel to her feet. Rachel clung onto the desk tightly for support, grabbing her bag and keys. She wasn't staying here a minute longer.

"Rachel? Where are you going?" Kim questioned

"I'm going home, Kim. I can't be here right now" she replied, her tone barely a whisper

"Rachel, I'm all for you going home, but please don't tell me you're crazy enough to think you can drive yourself?"

"I'm willing to try" Rachel huffed, walking slowly over to the office door, wincing in pain

Kim was fast, blocking her path.

"Rachel, please! You can't drive in your state! Please let me take you!" Kim begged

"Leave me alone, Kim" Rachel sighed, pushing past her

She limped down the stairs, passing Max on the way down. He looked at her with disdain, a satisfied smile forming on his face when he saw her bloodied and bruised face and the way she was holding her wrist to her chest, unable to move it. The sight of him made Rachel feel sick, but she was too weak to fight back. She had already admitted defeat when she was on the floor in her office. She couldn't deal with Max anymore. She was tired of fighting a losing battle with him.

Enough was enough.

She stood in front of him, her eyes locking with his. If she didn't feel like she was going to pass out, she would have punched that smug grin off his face.

"You won, Max. I'm done" she spat

She pushed passed him as forcefully as she could; blinking back the tears that were forming in her eyes, clutching her wrist and arm that was throbbing painfully.

Kim was calling after her relentlessly, desperate to get her attention. But she didn't care. It was too late.

She walked out of the school and into the empty car park, climbing carefully into her car. When her back made contact with the seat, and the doors were locked behind her, she finally burst into tears, sobbing hysterically, trembling from head to toe.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the wing mirror, her breath hitching in her throat. It wasn't the blood or the bruising that had taken her by surprise. It was how tired she looked, how beaten and worn down. Max had killed her spirit, her love for teaching. He'd destroyed everything, like he'd planned to all along. And she didn't care anymore; the fight in her was gone.

She thought of the one person who had given her hope throughout all of this. Eddie. He was probably waiting for her at home, after a day's work at his new school. She was desperate to be at home, with him.

She started the car, driving out of the gates, ignoring the pain ripping through her body.