Till Death Do Us Part

She couldn’t breathe. Her heart raced. Her ears soaked in harsh words. Her mind chose to focus on only a few at a time. She could not handle it. She could not handle what he said to her. Tears rolled down black and blue cheeks. Delicate, trembling fingers ran through thinning hair as she tried to calm herself.

“Bitch," he said.

Her body shook with fear. Her legs felt like jello as she grasped the kitchen counter to keep herself up right. She feared if she fell, if she made a noise it’d anger him more.

She feared him. She feared for her life.

“Whore,” he said.

She asked herself why. Why was he saying this? Why was he always saying this? What did she do wrong? When had she been unfaithful? When had she done anything to upset him?

She couldn’t think of a reason as he came closer.

“Cunt,” he said.

Was she not good enough? Was her hair not long enough? Her body not thin enough? Her breasts not large enough? What was wrong with her to make him hate her so?

He raised his fist. She clenched her eyes shut.

“Idiot,” he said.

Was it all a lie? In the beginning, was he not kind? Was he not caring? Was he not loving? Had it always been this way, she wondered. Where it had gone wrong or had she always looked past his cruelty?

His fist came down.

“Worthless,” he said.

I’m not, I’m not, she thought. Her head ached. Her body ached. Her heart ached. She cooked. She cleaned. She loved. She cared. How was she worthless? What else did he want her to do?

She cried out at the feel of his fist. It hurts! It hurts!

“Annoying,” he said.

Did he not say he loved her? Did he not call her beautiful? Did he not claim she was his world? Did he not promise till death do us part? She thought, till death do us part. Till death do us part. Till death do us part. Her eyes widened as she thought, no I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. Please God no. Make him stop. It hurts. I’m tired. I don’t want this.

“The fuck is wrong with you!" he said, hands fisting her hair as he pulled her head back hard.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

Till death do us part, she thought as her hand sought after the one thing that could save her from this nightmare. Quickly and without thought, the battered woman took her life into her own hands for once and plunged ice cold steel into the warm, raging flesh of the man who had forced her into such a terrifying deed.

Black eyes widened in shock and fear as she pulled the blade out with a sickening squelch before diving back in for a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth-when did she stop? Not until red stained the floor. Not until black eyes turned gray and lifeless. Not until her arms went limp. Not until her screams of anger and frustration and despair quieted to mere whimpers.

Not until she was satisfied.

“Till death do us part…” she said with a smile.