Free SCARRED (Scars) by C.R. Gress Page B

cheek. The same cheek he had backhanded the night before and was now swollen and purple.
    “I am so sorry baby. I don’t know what got into me. I promise you I will make it up to you and it will never happen again.” He whispered as he nuzzled my cheek again. “Let me get you some ice for that.”
    It was almost a month later before he hit me again. A year after that, he held a knife to my throat while I stood over my infant son in his bassinette. Although no woman should ever have to deal with abuse, I deal with it. I do not want to be divorced when I am not even a quarter of a century old. Fighting for my own sanity I stick it out, it does get better, or shall I say bearable. But there are times when it gets way, way worse. I managed it and kept it hidden….that is until Renee’.
    A Ω A Ω A Ω
    Greg and I stand alone on opposite sides of the courtroom reviewing the events of the night I got home from work later than normal. I am dressed in a white button down shirt and black slacks while Greg is wearing an orange jumpsuit. He has been in jail for the last forty-eight hours on assault charges and we are currently discussing a restraining order.
    “Your Honor, does anyone not see that she,” he points his finger at me across the courtroom, “ punched me in the jaw but I am the one that got locked up?”
    “I was defending myself!”
    “Defending my ass, you walked across the room and punched me for no apparent reason.”
    “Really? No apparent reason huh?”
    “Yeah, you came home in a bad mood from work and woke me to start a fight.”
    “You were waiti….”
    Bang Bang
    “Enough!” booms the judge. He turns to Greg, ”Son, you do realize that the State of North Carolina has a zero tolerance policy on domestic violence.”
    “She won’t press charges sir.” Greg answers, absolutely sure of himself.
    “She doesn’t have to press charges in this state. The district attorney has that option. We do this because there are many times that victims are coerced out of filing.” The judge explains to him.
    I stand quietly waiting for the judge to come down on me for my actions that night. Greg glares across the room at me before turning back to face the judge.
    “She hit me too. Why does she not get arrested. Why is she not sitting here in this God awful jumpsuit?” He asks.
    “’Too’ that is a very scathing word son.” The judge scolds.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well son, ‘Too’ insinuates that there were multiple parties involved which leads me to believe that you laid your hands on her also.”
    My mouth gapes open.
    “And based on what I see in this room, this young lady was most definitely defending herself. You are at least six inches taller than she is and pack at least fifty more pounds. If you were hurt when she hit you, you deserved it.”
    “But…”
    “No ‘but’ in this equation. I grant the restraining order for a period of one year. Son, you will be released based on time served with the stipulation that you abide by the order of protection placed against you. At no time will you visit her place of employment not her place of residence. You are to remain a fifty foot distance from her at all times. I will send this case to a counselor at Social Services so that we can arrange parental visitation for you without violating the order.”
    “Can I at least go get my clothes from the house?” Greg asks.
    “Yes you may, with a police escort that I will assign, bailiff please escort the gentleman to processing so that he may collect his things.”
    That’s it?
    I’m Free!
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    C HAPTER 9
     
     
    Fall, 1999
     
                  Happy Birthday to Me!
     
                  It’s my twenty-fourth birthday so I choose to celebrate it at the restaurant I work at. I feel safe here after everything I have been going through due to the separation from Greg. I don’t have to work and came up there to have a few drinks and enjoy my