Chapter 4

The next two months went by without a lot of drama, and in that time Claire met with Victoria Drake three times to discuss the divorce which seemed to be dragging on with no end in sight. Spring had sprung, lifting her spirits with its sunny days and blue skies. April showers were not coming often, at least not at the beginning of the month and that was probably the only problem that could be identified. It was hot and dry and the allergens were attacking her sinuses full force. The rain would definitely be helpful.

Claire was home alone most days and enjoyed the time to her self. With her mom back at work it gave Claire time to think about her life. She never would have believed that it would be like it was, but she would play the hand that she had been dealt. She was pondering over this one Tuesday afternoon when her cell phone vibrated, alerting her to a text message. Grabbing her cell phone thinking that it was her mom checking in she felt her blood run cold.

"Have you enjoyed your time away Claire? I think it's time that you come on home, but no worries, I'll come get you."

She hadn't heard from Logan since the morning that he had been served the divorce papers and she had thought that he was going to go along with the divorce and not make a scene, but now she was sick to her stomach. Her hands shook as she typed a response.

"Logan I'm not coming back there. We are done, there is no hope for us, you won't change and I can't live that way anymore."

There was no reply for an hour and a half and then at one o'clock there was a sound at the back door. Claire got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen to see what she could see. She assumed that it was a deer or some other animal, a sight that she was accustomed to at her childhood home. She didn't see anything and when she turned to head back into the living room there was the sound of crashing glass behind her. With a scream she spun around to see Logan standing there in the kitchen with her.

"I don't need hope Claire, but you've been rebelling long enough, now it's time to come home and get back to being a wife."

Claire backed slowly away, bumping into the table as she did. "Logan I don't want t-t-to come back with you. I don't love you and I won't be your p-p-punching bag anymore."

"Claire, be a good girl, and please don't piss me off. I don't want to have to teach you a lesson here. Let's go on home."

"NO! I have a restraining order Logan, and you will go to jail if I call the cops. If you don't leave in the next thirty seconds I will call the cops."

"One, two, three... do you want to count the time or should I do it? I'm not going anywhere. You see the thing about a restraining order is it's only a piece of paper. A piece of paper is no good for protection now is it?" Logan was across the floor and had a handful of her hair before she could even blink. "Why do you insist on pissing me off Claire? Haven't you learned yet?" His free hand connected with her cheek bone and she could feel the swelling that started immediately. "Oh, and I wouldn't advice yelling or screaming, you know how mad that makes me."

Claire clenched her teeth and fought against the tears that were battling against her eyelids. "Logan I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you I just couldn't..."

Another hand to her mouth silenced her. "When I want to know what you have to say I'll tell you. Your best bet is to shut up. I want you to call your lawyer lady and tell her it's off, that you're not getting divorced after all."

"No, I won't do that."

"What did you say?"

Claire cleared her throat and did all she could to hold her head high with him pulling on her hair like he was. "I said no, I won't do that. Go ahead Logan, beat me if that makes you feel like a man, but I won't be coming back to you."

"You filthy and ungrateful bitch," he spat as he hit her full force in the face. She felt a crack and knew that her nose was broken. In that instant she knew that this time would be the worst, and that she wouldn't come out of it the same.

Blow after blow he threw at her, pounding her as though she were a musty and sweaty punching bag in the back corner of a gym. When she fell to the ground he would grab her by the hair jerking her back to her feet. He was relentless for an hour, battering her entire body with his fists and feet. When she was down and thought that she could take no more she felt him rip at her shirt. She bit her swollen lip against what she knew was about to happen and prayed that God would be with her still.

Logan tore at her clothes and when he had her totally naked he ripped his pants down to his knees and roughly positioned himself between her legs, raping her brutally. He bit her breasts until he drew blood over and over again, and she fought screaming out in pain. He was hurting her and she felt something inside of her ripping as he continued to pound her most tender area, harder and faster, driving himself deeper into her with each thrust. Right before he reached his climax he pulled out of her and with a sneer on his twisted face he let out a laugh full of pure hate.

"You will never have children, do you hear me Claire? I will see to it. You betrayed me and maybe now you will know just how wrong that was for you to do." He slammed himself back into her, deeper than before and so much rougher than he ever had. Grabbing her hair and pulling her head back before he moved again so that she had to look him in the eye he said, "Say goodbye to your future children bitch." Then he drove himself into her over and over as the tears spilled down her cheeks, stinging the cuts there. She felt as if she were being ripped apart inside and knew that he could very well be right and that she would never have children after this brutal rape. He continued to bite her and slap her, he even got in a punch to the ribs now and then and when he finally pulled out of her for the last time he stood with a satisfied look on his face. Her vision was blurred from a pain deep inside of her and from her swollen eyelids, but she could make out the sneer that he wore.

"You know on second thought, a divorce is a great idea. I don't want to be married to a woman who is unable to give me a son." With one final kick to the ribs Logan walked out of the house the way that he had come in leaving her naked, bruised and bleeding on the kitchen floor.

Claire struggled to sit up and reach for the phone that was right above her on the counter top. It hurt to breath and the effort only hurt her worse. Her finger tips touched the hand set and she worked to get a good enough grip on it that she could take it from its base. Once she had the phone in hand she dialed 9-1-1 and heard the operator say, as though she were down a long tunnel, "9-1-1, what is your emergency?"

"I need help. I was attacked," Claire whispered, unable to make her voice work. Her chest hurt and when she tried to get a good breath hot pain shot through her body. The lady on the other end of the phone was saying something to her, but she couldn't make it out. Who was this on the phone anyway she thought, she hadn't called anyone. That was her last thought before she totally blacked out.