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Chapter Thirty-Three
"Do you regret marrying me, Carol dear?" Ed sneered down at her as she huddled against the cupboards on the floor. Her cheek throbbed and blood trickled down her chin from her split lip. Her ribs still throbbed from the beating she had taken the day before. That time was because she hadn't come to bed right when he wanted her, time it was because Ed's supper wasn't on the table when he arrived home from work.
"Well, I would say I regretted marrying a worthless bitch like you, but I kind of like being able to slap you around a bit." Ed straightened and made a fist. "It helps me relieve the frustrations of work."
"You're sick!" Carol wanted to scream. She wanted to stand up and slam the casserole dish full o meatloaf on his head. But she couldn't. She couldn't do anything but cower at his feet and if he were to know her thoughts, he would kill her. There was no doubt about it. She needed to get away.
"Now, get your ass up and give me my food. I'm fucking starving and it's your own fault that I had to smack you around some. You know how and when I want things done." Ed turned his back on her and went to go sit at the table where he would be wanting for Carol to bring the food in. She would have to serve him, as well. Anything that demeaned Carol, Ed made her do it.
That night, Ed snored next to Carol. Luckily, he had gone straight to bed after watching the TV. He hadn't forced himself on her in a long time and for that Carol was grateful. As she laid there, plans rushed through her head. She had a cousin that lived in Atlanta. She would let Carol stay there for a while, she knew and if it didn't work out, Carol knew she could stay with Michonne.
There was no way she was going to stay in this house with this monster another night. One of these days he was going to kill her and she would not let that happen.
The next day, after Ed went off to work, Carol packed up all her things into two suitcases and called a cab. She didn't even look back at the house she shared with her husband for a year as they drove away.
Carol didn't even dare to breathe as she heard Ed's footsteps creep down the hallway. What if he didn't go the bathroom and decided he would wait in the bedroom when she got out?
Then, he would be getting a surprise earlier than Carol anticipated, but would have the same result.
The footsteps stopped.
Carol froze.
The sound of a turning doorknob came to her ears and she knew he was opening the bathroom door. When the sound of the shower and the radio suddenly got louder, Carol counted to five before she stepped into the hallway.
No Ed in sight. He was in the bathroom.
Carol kept her back to the hallway wall until she reached the bathroom doorway. The sound of Ed ripping the shower curtain was her cue to move. She jumped into the bathroom and aimed the gun at the back of his head. She reached over and shut the radio off. The only sound in bathroom was the shower. Ed cocked his head to the side.
"Turn around slowly, asshole," she hissed. "And keep your hands up. Any sudden movements and I will not hesitant."
Ed laughed. An evil sound that sent chills down her spine, but Carol did not allow the gun to waver and she would not allow any fear to show on her face. Ed thrived off fear and she would not give him what he wanted. Not today and not ever, again.
Ed did as he was told and turned around with his arms in the air. His eyes widened slightly at the gun, but the smirk didn't leave his face. "Getting brave, I see," he said. "Most be the new husband."
"Shut up," she growled. "Daryl has nothing to do with this and I should have done this a long time ago. Before I met him."
"What? Kill me? Oh, Carol dear, you could never do it. That first time I hit you, you didn't even talk back to me. It was like you knew you deserved it."
She hadn't talked back because she knew he would hurt her more if she did. She wasn't stupid. "I didn't deserve any of the things you did to me, Ed. But you deserve to die for them. I'm showing you mercy by not putting a bullet in your brain right now."
Again, he laughed. Cocky. He really didn't think she would shoot him. But all he needed to do was give her a reason to and she wouldn't hesitate.
"Now, come with me." She motioned with a jerk of her head. "We're heading to the living room. Remember. No sudden movements."
"Yeah, or you'll shoot me. I got it." He smiled. "This is fun, Carol. I like this side of you. Fierce. Brave. I think I'm going to enjoy beating it out of you more, though."
Carol felt bile rise in her throat. This man was sick and he needed to be put away. Forever. He shouldn't be allowed to roam free, anymore, because if he wasn't trying to get her, he may turn his attention on another woman and Carol couldn't have that. No one deserved to go through what she had.
Ed began to walk down the hallway; Carol wasn't far behind with the gun. He glanced over his shoulder at her. "So, have you gotten any of my texts? You've never replied so I never knew. Weren't they pretty great?"
"Oh, they were absolutely lovely, Ed," she said in a singsong voice. "Too bad you won't be sending me anymore. I'll miss them an awful lot."
"You won't have to worry about that. Whenever we get done playing this game, I won't have to text you anymore because I'll have you and I'll be able to tell you everything that's on my mind." He laughed, again. "I can't wait."
They reached the living room and Carol motioned to the couch. Ed took a seat in the middle cushion and Carol stood in front of him, gun still trained on him. This time it was on his chest. She had him where she wanted him and now, all she had to do was wait for Daryl or the police to arrive.
"It's a cozy little place you got here, Carol dear," he said looking around.
Carol didn't say anything.
"Not talking to me, anymore, I see?" He asked. "Sad. Well, then, would you be a dear and get me a drink of water. All of this talking has made my throat hurt."
"Fuck no."
Ed whistled low and tsked. "Language. Did your hillbilly husband teach you that?"
Silence.
"So, what are we doing here? Waiting for Daryl?" The smirk never left the man's face. "What's he going to do? Kick my ass?"
Just then, the sound of sirens filled the room. Carol smiled and a look of understanding crossed Ed's face.
"Now, I see what you're doing. Smart. But unfortunately, they have nothing on me."
Blue and red lights flashed in the corner of her eye, Carol turned her head an inch...and that was when Ed lunged. Carol knew that would happen and squeezed the trigger. The sound of the gunshot drowned out the sirens and she looked down to see Ed clutching his arm. Blood dripped from through his fingers and he looked at her with such hatred it chilled her blood.
"You're going to fucking pay for this!" Ed got to his feet and was about to lunge again when the first police officer burst through the door.
Several minutes later, Ed was cuffed and escorted to one of the squad cars while another police officer asked her some questions.
"Ma'am, it looks like this man forced himself into your home, correct?"
"Yes," Carol answered. "He's also my ex-husband and the reason why I purchased a gun. He was very abusive during our marriage and I was afraid he would come after me when we divorced...and he did."
"Unfortunately, we can't charge him with anything that happened during your marriage since it was never reported, but we can charge him with breaking and entering."
Carol nodded, understanding.
"Also, we ran his plates and it turns out that he has a warrant out for his arrest. Several months ago, a call was received that a man in a black Dodge Charger kept driving past a home in Atlanta. He ran over the caller's mailbox and even threw a brick through the front window. He was gone by the time a patrol car came by the house."
Carol gasped. "Michonne."
"Yes, that was the name of the caller. Don't worry, ma'am, she's fine. Mr. Peletier never bothered her after that. But now, we can put him away for even longer."
"Thank you." Tears sprang to her eyes.
"Would you like to also get a restraining order against him? He won't be out for a long time...but just in case?" The officer asked.
"Yes, please. I should have gotten one a long time ago. I don't know why I didn't...I was just..." The officer placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.
"It's all right, ma'am."
"Carol," she said, not liking the continued ma'am business. She was only twenty-four!
"It's all right, Carol." He smiled, again, but it was cut short when there was the sound of some yelling outside.
"Let me in. That's my wife in there!" It was Daryl. An officer had stopped him when he had pulled into the driveway, but he had been too worried about Carol's well-being that he had went straight to the yelling.
The officer let him past and Daryl ran inside, looking frantically around. When he spotted her, he didn't waste anytime and she was in his arms in seconds.
"You okay?" He asked and quickly looked her over.
"Yeah," she answered. "Ed was the only one who got hurt."
"Shot him right through the shoulder," the officer said with a slight smile. "Probably would have gotten him again if we hadn't burst into the house right when he was jumping at her."
Daryl's eyes widened. "He jumped at you?"
"Twice. But he didn't touch me. Not once."
"Oh, God." Daryl leaned his forehead against her shoulder and sagged in her embrace. "I could have fuckin' lost you."
"No. No, you wouldn't have. I'm fine and now Ed's gone from out lives."
The officer cleared his throat, then, and Daryl reluctantly broke away from Carol so they could look at him. "We're going to take Mr. Peletier to the station, now. We'll keep in touch with the both of you to let you know his sentence."
"Thank you," Carol said. "For everything."
"No problem. We're just doing our job." He left, then, along with the other officers with him. Carol and Daryl watched as the three squad cars drove away. One of them held Ed.
"Good riddance," Carol mumbled and leaned into Daryl's side.
"Come on," Daryl said once they left. "Let's clean up this mess and I'm going to take you out."
"Okay. But...let me do one thing first." She didn't want for him to answer and made her way back to their bedroom. She picked up the phone still on the bed from where she had dropped it and dialed a number she had memorized.
After three rings, someone answered. Carol smiled and teared up at the house. "Hi, Michonne. It's Carol."
I hope that was a good enough way to get rid of Ed!
Thanks for reading!