Chapter 1: Gotta Get Back!

Kelly Anne’s POV:

“Excuse me, Miss Adams?” The clerk asked from the opposite side of the counter.

“Huh?” I responded, looking dazed standing there. I was not paying much attention to what was going on, even though she was ready for my cooperation.

“Here, ma’am,” she said, looking at me with an irritated expression as to my being spaced out. “I need you to sign here, on the bottom line on this page where it reads ‘Signature’, then be sure to sign the next page as well.”

I looked at the document she pushed toward me, noticing she had already signed it under ‘County Court Clerk’. I reached out and took the pen she held out for me to take before I scribbled my name on the signature line of the first page. Then I proceeded to sign the second page. In this moment, I realized that was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I had hoped that by doing this, it would make a difference in my life for once.

When I was finished, I placed the pen down on all the papers before me and slid them back across the counter. She took the small stack of papers, adding a few more before stapling it all together, stamping the back page of each copy, and then handing me back both sets.

“Here you go,” she said next, handing them over. “The next step will be for this to get signed by the judge. Then it will be official as long as there is no one to contest it. The whole process should be done in about 3 to 4 months at best. But if there are any issues, then it may take longer for your divorce to be completed. Do you want him to be served?”

“Yes I would like that,” I said timidly as I was quite nervous about my decision to do this legally. “Ummm, where do I go to? To get a protective order?”

“That will be just down the hall in Suite C,” she said sternly. As I looked down at the papers I held delicately in my hands, I had an instant feeling of regret. When I turned away from her, she said something, catching my attention once more as she said, “However, I do believe they are out for lunch, small town after all. Do you think you will be able to wait?”

“No, I am afraid I really must be getting back home,” I said, knowing he should be there by now.

“They will be there in about 45 minutes to an hour if you happen to change your mind,” she said, turning to walk away from me.

I left feeling guilty as I walked out of the clerk’s office holding the 2 small stapled bundles of papers in my hands. For some strange reason, I thought everyone was looking at me, so I kept my eyes glued to the floor, making my way outside. I was very self-conscious at that point, so I hurried back home. I thought about what I was going to say when the time came. And, when I could get away to apply for the protective order next.

Time seemed to pass like nothing when I finally pulled into my driveway. I looked around before opening the door. All seemed quiet around the house. Was he even here? I got out, slowly. He was nowhere to be seen. I walked inside, still listening intently for the slightest sound. Was he even here?

However, when I walked into the living room from the kitchen, everything changed. Out of nowhere, came a fist flying toward my face, punching me square in the mouth. I screamed out in pain as I closed my eyes. I felt a hand firmly wrap around my neck, while my back was slammed up against the wall.

“What the Hell do you think you are doing?!” Shane yelled at me. I gasped for air, trying to respond to him.

“What are you talking about?” I managed to ask.

That infuriated him, and he wrapped a second hand around my throat, squeezing tighter. I instinctively placed my hands on his wrists, trying to get him to let go.

“I am talking about you being at the courthouse today, Kelly Anne! You were filing for divorce! What makes you think you are going to get rid of me??!” He harped at me sharply.

“What?!” I asked him, shocked by his words. Who saw me? No, better yet, who could have told him?! I had only just left there and went straight home. He strangely loosened his grip slightly as I whispered. “I don’t understand.”

“How can you not understand?” He scoffed, looking at me aggressively with an evil look in his eye. “You’re telling me, you didn’t see Nadine?! She was there paying one of my fines. She looked right at you. She saw and heard everything you said.” He turned slightly away before glaring again. “Oh yeah. You want me to be served by a deputy?! You know I have outstanding warrants. Were you planning on them picking me up at that time too?”

He finally let go of my throat, and grabbed both of my shoulders while raising his knee, before he thrust it in my stomach. I gasped for air as I landed on the floor, hard! He then reared his foot back, kicking me in the chest. I thought he split my sternum in two with the force of that blow. He wore steel-toed boots too. I coughed violently, wrapping my arms around my chest, and curling into a ball. He suddenly knelt before me, scowling while reaching for my right arm. I kept coughing as he snickered at me,

“I will make it to where you’re not able to sign your name unless I do it for you.”

He twisted my arm, trying to give it an Indian burn. But! He used such a grip, twisting each hand in the opposite direction at such a speed that he broke my arm! I screamed out with all my might. You would have thought he dropped a 10-ton beam on my arm. I was in so much pain I was sure the neighbors could hear me if they were paying attention.

All of a sudden, Nadine rushed into the living room, screeching, “The cops are coming!”

“What!?” He yelled, standing to his feet while turning to face her. “How is that possible?”

“I stayed there after she left, overhearing them run your name through the system,” his sister said, glaring hatefully at me. “They ended up calling in a deputy. They said you had warrants for forced entry, assault and battery, and domestic abuse.”

He paced while I cradled my broken arm, trying to protect it, when he turned around to face me after hearing this news. In the distance, we could all hear the sound of sirens getting closer. She left the front door open when she rushed inside. He walked over to me, adding, “If I’m going to go, then I should go out in style!”

He moved his leg back about to kick me. I thought he was going to kick me in the stomach again, but I was so wrong. He ended up kicking me in the face, breaking my nose. Any harder and he could have killed me. I was dazed, my vision going in and out. I could hear the sounds of shouting while everything around me was fuzzy. Come to replace out, Nadine left the door wide open. When the deputies approached the door, they could see me lying there on the floor, bleeding all over.

“Freeze!” I heard someone shout as my vision started to fade to black. What’s going to happen now?