No Going Back

10 - 1

Antonio

I had felt my entire body shake with violent tremors under the strain as I grasped the devastating reality, Floria was divorcing me, citing my infidelity as the reason. I couldn't breathe, the oxygen refused to register in my lungs. I had faced countless hardships in my life - the gnawing pangs of hunger, the bitter sting of poverty, and the unforgiving struggle to survive on the streets - but none of them had ever left me feeling as fragile and broken as I did in that moment, my emotional and physical defenses shattered by the impactful force of Floria's decision.

I jolted awake, my heart racing, as the haunting vision of the nightmare lingered. In my mind's eye, Floria's anguished face still echoed, her tears streaming down as she fled from me with a desperate emergency. Our baby was clutched tightly in her arms, and her eyes held a terror that terrified me back, as if I was a savage monster risen from the shadows to hurt her.

I lifted trembling hands to my eyes, and my fingers brushed against the warm tears that flowed freely down my face. A searing ache constricted my chest, as if my heart was being wrenched from its moorings, leaving a hollow, plaguing void.

My tears of sorrow ignited into a blaze of fury as I recalled the name that had become synonymous with my confinement - Hendrix Halston. That ruthless manipulator had somehow managed to dig out the deeds of my past, dredging up evidence and witnesses who had been too intimidated to speak out against me when I was a hot blooded man on the streets and in the tattoo shop.

But now, with me locked away and powerless, they had found their voices, and Hendrix had given them a platform to condemn me. My fists clenched in impotent rage as I thought of the bail that had slipped through my fingers, thanks to his machinations.

I slammed my head against the cold wall, the impact a faint echo of the distress that ravaged my chest. I pressed my fists against the ache, as if I could physically contain the pain. Closing my eyes, I let the darkness envelop me, and Floria's gentle face floated to the surface of my mind. Her kindness, her beauty, her love - she was the sole source of light in a world that had otherwise been shrouded in darkness. Her memory alone was tranquily soothing , and I clung to it, letting it comfort it as she always had.

My lawyer informed me how Hendrix touted his connections in the law world, and then produced those damning medical reports. The ones that detailed the extent of the damage I'd inflicted on his shoulder - nerve damage. The evidence had been enough to revoke my bail, and I couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of contempt for the man.

A military background, and yet he'd chosen to take a beating, to let me pummel him into the ground. It was a calculated move, one that reeked of manipulation. And Floria, my Floria, she thought this man was some kind of hero? Unbelievable!

I felt loathful towards Hendrix as I thought about how his actions had derailed my life. If not for his relentless pursuit of revenge against me, I would have been at home, focusing on healing my relationship with Floria, supporting her through this difficult time, and cherishing every moment with my newborn daughter. Instead, His malice had torn me away from my family, leaving me with the unbearable pain of having missed out on those precious early moments with my child.

Sleep never arrived, and I spent the entire night tossing and turning, my restlessness and emptiness clashing together, one I felt without my wife by my side. No matter the comfort of my surroundings, whether it was a luxury bed or a humble pile of hay in a rustic smelly shed, I couldn't shake the feeling of desolation that gripped me. The world seemed dull and lifeless, devoid of the warmth and joy that Floria brought to my life. I kept recalling how she had begged me to stay that day, and my mind tormented me with the thought that if only I had listened to her pleas, this entire fiasco might have been avoided.