Different Worlds

Only One Way Out

Seth's POV

Everything changed. Mary was distanced and cold, even to the kids. I was at a lost of what to do. What Brad did to her changed her, in a big way. I understood why but now my wife was different. Even after she cheated on me, she was still the same person but once he did what he did to her, she became someone else. I was so worried about her. Brad got tried and was sentenced to several years in prison. Then when he would get out, he would be a sex offender. I wasn't happy with the outcome but there was nothing that I could do about it but I was angry. Apart of me wished I would have kept going. Doctors even said a few more blows, he probably would have died. He got lucky that my children were in the same room cause I probably wouldn't have stopped then. I never put my hands on anyone before but I snapped that day when I saw what he was doing to her. The one and only time I put my hands on another person, I almost killed them. I wouldn't lie, I have thought to myself several times, especially seeing how Mary has changed, that I wished I wouldn't have stopped. He deserved to rot. He took away the woman I loved that day, she was so different. I moved back in, but not all at once, it just happened. I was staying there to take care of her and kept bring more and more of my stuff there, till I was fully moved back in. We never discussed me moving back in, it just happened as she and my children needed me. But as time went on, she and I fought more. She wouldn't let me close and I don't mean just sex, but even holding her or touching her was too much for her. I would get frustrated and we would always end up fighting, truth was, I wasn't frustrated at her, but more at Brad. It was cause of him that she pushed the ones who loved her away. She couldn't trust anyone to get close to them. Not even our children. She wasn't even affectionate with them. She wasn't the mother she once was. My children were suffering now. I got them into therapy as they saw what happened to their mother and they were scarred from it. It effected them too. That and how their mother had changed. They began to question whether or not she loved them. It broke my heart. I needed to do something cause everyone was missing who she once was. She was closed off and suffering. There was no one that was able to get through to her. I was scared for her. I still worked as someone had to. Mary basically quit after it happened. She lost her passion. I don't think it helped she worked with him in the same place, probably would only make it worse to be there. One afternoon, I came home a little early from work as I wanted to discuss a way to help her. I knew it would probably cause another fight, but I had to do something. She was so different. So detached. I walked in the front door and it was quiet. I almost forgot the kids were in school. I sighed and looked around for Mary. I didn't see her downstairs, so I went upstairs. I went to our bedroom and she wasn't in there. But then I heard the bathtub running from behind the door. I went to open it and it was locked. I knocked on the door. "Baby, let me in. We need to talk."

Nothing and I got a little angry. I pounded on the door. "God damn it, Mary. Open this fucking door!"

Then I noticed water slowly running out from under the door. My eyes widened as I became fearful, I started to pound harder on the door as I yelled her name out. Nothing still. I, then, started to slam my body into the door to bust it open. After a few attempts, I finally broke it open. I almost fell in as I saw water all over the floor. I looked over to the tub and Mary was in the tub with her eyes closed. I noticed the water was discolored with red. My heart, instantly, dropped as I feared the worse. I ran over to the tub and pulled her out and placed her on the ground. I looked down at her wrist and they were both slit, horizontally, so she was trying to make sure she went through with it. I quickly grabbed a towel and put pressure on the wounds. I pulled out my phone as I called for help. Then the 911 operator answered, "Nine one one, what is your emergency."

"My wife, she needs help. She slit her wrist and she is bleeding out." I said in a panic.

"Is she breathing, sir?" The operator asked.