Never Again

Darlene rushed around the large, spacious kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the dinner she was preparing. She had taken great care that everything would be perfect. Tonight was her and her husband Aaron's fifth anniversary and she wanted it to be just right.

She had planned the menu to include all of his favorite dishes, filet mignon, lightly seared with garlic butter, steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce, baked potatoes with sour cream and chives, fresh yeast rolls, and strawberry shortcake with chocolate shavings. She had timed everything so that it would all be hot and fresh when Aaron arrived home from work.

She set the table with the china, crystal, and silverware they had received as wedding gifts, up until tonight they had sat unused, but tonight was a very special night. After she had finished preparing all the food, she ran upstairs to quickly clean-up and change.

She chose a low-cut, red silk dress that Aaron had gotten her for her birthday last year, accessorized with red slingbacks, and a small gold chain. She was feeling a risque, so instead of panty hose, she opted for a black garter belt and hose, with no panties. She could hardly contain the anticipation she felt, when he discovered it. She quickly applied her makeup, fluffed her short, curly hair and after a quick turn in the mirror, she was ready.

She placed all of the food into serving dishes and placed it on the table. She opened the bottle of wine she had chosen to allow it to breathe. She also had a bottle of champagne chilling, but that was for later. As she was putting the finishing touches to the table, she heard Aaron coming through the side door that led into the mudroom from the garage.

He walked into the dining room and stopped, a look of awe on his face.

"What's all this?" He asked chuckling.

"Oh, nothing special." She replied.

Aaron sat down at the table and looked over the spread.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, honey."

"Nothing's too good for you."

Darlene sat down to his right, took his plate and began serving him. She poured them both a glass of wine, then filled her own plate. They ate and chatted about their days, to her it felt as if they were newlyweds all over again. The conversation drifted over the years that had passed and their hopes for the future.

All of a sudden, a strong burning smell began to fill the dining room. Darlene jumped from her chair and ran to the kitchen to find thick, black smoke rolling out of the oven. She quickly grabbed a potholder, threw open the oven door, and removed the pan. She threw the pan into the sink and turned on the water. The smoke alarm began its deafening serenade. Aaron got the broom and waved it in front of it to clear the smoke. Darlene went around the house opening windows to allow the smoke to exit.

She came back to the kitchen. "Well I guess we won't be having rolls tonight." She said with tears welling up in her eyes. Aaron looked at her smudged face and started laughing.

"It's not funny." Darlene said with laughter starting in her own voice.

"You really can't do anything right can you Darlene?"

Aaron crossed the kitchen in a blur, he backhanded her knocking her to the floor.

"Why did I ever marry such a pathetic, worthless, little bitch like you."

The punches rained down on her so fast, she had barely braced for one before another was coming down. Her whole body was a constant ache, then thankfully it stopped or so she thought. Aaron pulled his belt free from his pants and wrapped it around his hand making sure to leave the buckle on the front of his fists. The beating seemed to go on for hours, then thankfully darkness took her.

Unforunately it was only a brief intermission, she awoke being drug upstairs by her hair. Aaron cruelly jerked her to her feet by her hair and slapped her open-handed across the face again, almost causing her to fall.

"Go clean yourself up you look like shit." He hissed at her.

She started to walk into the bathroom, but the grabbed her arm in a deathgrip.

"You'll be in their for hours, let me get this fucking dress off of you."

He roughly ripped the now tattered dress from her then let out a low whistle.

"Well what do we have here?" He said. "Looks like you wanted to play."

"Please." She croaked past her sore throat.

"Oh, now honey you don't have to beg." He said leeringly.

Darlene tried to run, but he was faster he grabbed her by the hair again. He half lifted, half threw her onto the bed. She curled into the fetal position, feeling empty, battered, and hollow.
Aaron quickly undressed and climbed onto the bed. He grabbed her knees and forced her to her back, when she wouldn't open her legs he puched her in the stomach. Darlene felt all the air leave her body and became limp.

"That's more like it."

He pinned her wrists together using one hand, he ground them together so harshly she was sure he has going to break them. He entered her in one rough thrust, the pain and shame was instantaneous. She closed her eyes and tried to detach herself, she had gotten quite good at it over the years. Soon his thrusts became more urgent, he grunted, and then collapsed on her.

Aaron got up and went to the bathroom and Darlene heard the shower come on. She was badly hurt and thought she had some broken ribs, because it hurt to take a breathe. She forced herself to sit up and whimpered. She had to fight back a wave of dizziness that swept over her. After a few moments, she pushed herself to a standing position and walked over to the closet and pulled out a blue, terrycloth robe. She went over to the mirror that just an hour ago she had looked into with such high hopes for the evening. Both eyes were almost swollen shut, bruises covered her face and her hair stuck to her head in places where the buckle had cut her scalp.

Aaron came out of the bathroom, went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of fresh underwear.

"You might want to get some ice for those eyes." He said laughingly and smacked her on the butt. He crawled into bed.

"Whoa babe, you can still take it out of me. I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight." He reached over and turned off the bedside lamp.

Darlene went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She stepped into the water and it felt like little fists hitting her all over again everytime it hit the bruises and cuts. She quickly washed as much blood as she could away and stepped out of the shower. She didn't bother drying her hair, instead just slipping back into the soft robe.

She walked back into the bedroom, leaving the bathroom door cracked so that the light could fall across Aaron's face. She looked at him and felt nothing but disgust. She could all ready hear the apologies that would come tomorrow and how she had made him do it. She could not for the life of her think of one reason why she had ever fell in love with him. He had been this way even when they were dating, but she had convinced herself that he would change.

Darlene felt something inside her snap, a numbness washed over her. She felt as though she had stepped outside of her body. She walked around slowly to stand by Aaron's side of the bed. She looked down at his sleeping face and felt nothing, she picked up the heavy brass lamp on the bedside table and brought it down with all the strength she could muster directly on his face. His forehead split like a ripe grape and his eyes came open with a look of surprise, she brought the lamp up and down. She heard a cracking noise, then a wet sloppy noise. She beat him until her arms were burning and shaking. She looked at the red ruin that was his face, and still felt nothing, no remorse, no guilt, no fear, nothing.

She walked downstairs and called 911, she told them she had killed her husband, they asked if she was sure, oh yes, she had told them she was very sure. The police arrived quickly and after taking one look at her had quickly come to realize what had transpired. They took her to the hospital where she had to stay a week. There was a charge of manslaughter, but she was soon out on bail, and was found not guilty at the trial.

She began therapy and soon came to realize what a fool she had been. She still didn't understand why she had stayed as long as she had and why she ever thought he was going to change. She also realized that he had never truly loved her, he only loved to control her.

A year later.

Darlene finally agreed to let her friend Audrey set her up with a guy from her office. She was a stronger, wiser woman now. She knew love was out there somewhere and by God she was going to find it.