The Architect's Wife

Three-Time to Run

"How could you?" Joanie said as she stormed into Paul's room. 

"What are you talking about?" Paul replied as he stood calmly causing Joanie to burst with more anger.

"Don't pretend like you don't know. You know exactly what im talking about. Did you think of your kids when you were fucking them like the dog you really are?" Joanie looked at him trying to hold back tears, she was so furious that any denial from this man she once trusted would make her explode. 

Paul's face was grim and his lips thinned, he did not say a word. "Joanie" he uttered reaching for her as she took a step back. 

"Don't you touch me Paul. You sick bastard, I knew this was happening. I really don't know why I was so stupid to lie to myself and-" She quickly brushed off the hot tears from her cheek. She had to be strong. "Im leaving you. I'm leaving all the bits and pieces left of you for your precious little sluts." She moved closer to him so she could look at him directly in his cold unsympathetic eyes. "And I'm taking my kids." She whispered and turned to leave the room. 

Paul suddenly grabbed her with an unknowing strength and shoved her on the wall clinging unto her neck, choking her. Joanie looked at Paul in shock surprised at his anger. 

"Paul." She croaked as she gasped for breath. 

"Listen to me and listen good" Paul growled  "There is no way in hell I'm letting you or anyone else leave this house not over my cold, dead, lifeless body, understood?" Paul squeezed Joanie's neck with every word that came out from his mouth. Joanie tried to look at him through her tear filled eyes. She refused to believe this was the man she married. 

"Answer me!" he yelled as he yanked he hair to inflict more pain on his wife. Joanie groaned in pain. 

"Yes Paul, understood" He finally released his grip on her, sat back down, and resumed his work like nothing ever happened. Joanie stood there in the exact same spot looking at him unable to move. She made one step towards the door when Paul called back at her.

"Oh and Joanie" she stopped refusing to look at him. "You're sleeping with me tonight wear something cute."  

She hoarsely answered "Yes dear" 

Meanwhile Shantel was at Vivian's informing her about the gross encounter on her dad's computer. Shantel always confided in Vivian, she knew all her secrets and Vivian knew all her secrets. Shantel looked up to Vivian as a role model. She had the perfect life, perfect boyfriend, perfect body the only problem with her was that she was seriously anorexic. 

" I don't know what to think. I just hope my mom didn't go back to snoop around" 

"Why not?" Vivian asked " I mean it's not like you were actually watching porn, like she thought" 

"I know but that would really hurt her, you know, like to know that her husband is a pervert and all." 

Vivian laughed. "That pervert is your dad too..Remember?" 

"Who me? Nah I stopped thinking of that guy as a father a long time ago. I like to refer to him as the monetary provider. Nothing more." 

Vivian smiled and shook her head. "You're crazy.. you know that?" 

"Duh and you know if she ever sees those messages, it will be totally and completely my fault if they split up or something." 

"No it wont Shantel this has nothing to do with you okay. Fate would always make your mom find out no matter how" Vivian reassured her friend then she began to grin suspiciously "so.. who would you go with?" 

"Huh?" Shantel said confusingly  

"You know if they split up. I would go with my dad if that ever happens to my parents" 

Shantel looked at her friend and giggled. "Well I would certainly go with my mom. I would never want to see him again." 

Vivian watched her friend sympathetically. 

That night Joanie and Paul made love but they did it with a passion that was filled with hate and anger. Joanie did all she could to inflict pain on her husband biting and scratching but he just seemed to penetrate her harder. 

When she was on-top of him he grabbed on to her waist tight and said. "Good girl. You're learning." He disgusted her insides 

"Am I better than Melinda?" She asked panting.  

He opened his eyes and looked directly at her. His jaw tightend as he placed her to lay down and separated her legs once more. Still silent he jammed his organ inside her with a strong force. Joanie moaned. Paul finally spoke and said "No you're not. She does not deserve to be compared to you, now shut up."

Joanie closed her eyes and nodded as she forced to hold back the tears. She knew if she disobeyed Paul he would choke her and squeeze the living out of her and ironically that was what always seemed to give him an orgasm. 

......................................................................................................................................................................... 

A few days after Paul and Joanie's first physical fight, Joanie and her sister were in her sewing room together putting the finishing touches on some bride's maid dresses. It was a hot day and Joanie could not keep her long hair loose any longer, so she placed it in a sporty ponytail. But what she forgot was the cruel marks that Paul inflicted on her neck was what she was trying to hide in the first place.  

"Joanie, what the hell are those?" her startled sister blurted out, immediately after seeing the bruises. 

"What is what?" Jamie unknowingly replied, looking for a mistake she thought she made on the dress she was working on. 

"Um those" Her sister said as she pointed at the horrifying bruises. 

Joanie suddenly understood and quickly tried covering her the sides of her neck with her hands. 

" Oh that's nothing" She said nervously.

"Nothing uh sweetie, it's quite obvious to see that's something. How did you get this?" Marsha asked. Joanie remained silent while Marsha watched and examined the bruises like any big sister would.

"Did Paul do this?" She whispered. Joanie could not find the strength to reply and she refused to allow her sister to hear the pain in her voice. She nodded not looking up to her sister in the eye. 

"Well jeez, tell him to quit the sadistic behaviour in bed will you?" 

Joaine almost smiled at her sister's humor. She looked up at her and Marsha saw the tears sliding down her sister's face. She suddenly realised how the bruises were actually inflicted and her anger began to boil. 

"Marsha, it wasn't sex" Joanie managed to say. 

"I kind a figured that out. And you didn't tell me, I'm your sister how could you keep something like this from me?!?!" 

"Do you know how embarrassing it is to tell someone your husband hit you. He is cheating okay. When I confronted him this was the result" Joanie said pointing to the marks on her neck. 

"Son of a bitch" Marsha said after a long pause "He cant get away with this" 

"He already has; Marsha he won't let me leave" Joanie said.

"What? He has no right" Marsha retorted.

"Yes he does. He is my husband plus he's afraid his perfect image will be shattered. I really have no choice but to stay" 

"Before time but not now" Marsha replied "This is the 21st century Joanie.You have to leave him it's time you run" 

"Don't worry yourself" Joanie stubbornly assured her sister "Everything will be alright. I'm fine now" 

Marsha sighed she would never believe that "I hope so"