I focused on breathing. I didn’t want it to spiral out of control like it did when I had the flat tire. That incident had really scared me, and I never wanted to feel like that again.
I crept through the cabin, checking each room. There was one more place to check – the bathroom. I heard a scratch and it startled me and I dropped the flashlight. I bent down to pick it up and felt a breeze on my back. I turned around. No one was there. I opened the bathroom door and Izzy flew between my legs. She must have somehow got locked in the bathroom.
I returned to bed but didn’t sleep peacefully the rest of the night. No sooner would I drift asleep, I’d wake up again. I tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. I hated sleepless nights. When the morning sun shined through the bedroom window, I was glad the darkness was gone.
Chapter 36
I looked in the mirror. Gray bags hung under my tired eyes. You look like shit, Shelly. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. Maybe I needed some fresh air.
It was too early to call my attorney, so after eating breakfast I headed to the rock outcropping. I thought being outside would help calm me, but every little sound made my heart race. I was still spooked from last night. I had a weird feeling I wasn’t alone.
The rain the night before had made the rocks extra slippery. My foot became stuck in a crevice between two rocks, and I had to wiggle it free. It made me think about what I’d do if something happened and I didn’t have a cell phone to call for help. I remembered reading a story about a mountain climber who fell into a crevice and cut off his arm. He survived.
Sometimes in life you must cut off a limb to save the body. I had to do that with Eric. I knew there’d be no middle ground with him. He wouldn’t forgive and forget or move on easily. He’d make me pay emotionally, financially, any way he could, claiming I’d abandoned him.
I sat down on the large rock Jackie and I had sat on the day before. I watched two sailboats in the distance. They seemed to dance on top of the water, gliding gracefully forwards. Eric had suggested buying a sailboat but he seemed more of a speedboat type of guy. Fast and dangerous.
I wondered about his first wife, Lisa. I doubted she was the psycho Eric had portrayed her as. I hadn’t tried to find her before, but I wondered if I could.
I found a couple of sites where you could put in a person’s name and get a report on them. I typed Eric J. Talbot. Bingo! Along with several aliases, the report also listed relatives. My name was there, but so was Lisa’s. I read it multiple times. Lisa Danner Talbot. She must’ve taken her maiden name for her middle name.
Someone yelled and it startled me. I turned around to see two kids climbing the rocks closer to land. The parents – I assumed they were the parents – watched from their perches on a fallen tree.
I turned back to my phone, wondering if Lisa was among the billions who used Facebook. I searched for Lisa Danner and I couldn’t believe how easy she was to find.
I was taken a little aback when I saw her photo. We looked a lot alike. Same coloring, hair and build. Was it a strange coincidence or did Eric search for women who had a ‘certain look?’
I enlarged the photo of her and that’s when I saw she was wearing a necklace just like the one Eric had given me the night of my high school reunion.
I could still hear his silky voice and what he said. He even got teary eyed. And, of course, I felt so special. How pathetic!
It made me sick just thinking about it. He probably said the same things to Lisa. I was tempted to message her, but I didn’t want to do anything rash.
I checked other social media to see if Lisa was on any of them. I found her profile on LinkedIn. She was a women’s clothing buyer, and had earned her undergrad and graduate degree from New York University. Her work history and education were impressive.
I wondered how they’d met. Did he woo her like he had me? Did he insist she wear sexy lingerie to bed? How did their marriage end? I had so many questions I wanted to ask but I wanted to see if Jackie thought contacting Lisa was a bad idea. I texted her.
Found Eric’s ex Lisa on Facebook. We look similar.
Jackie texted back: OMG!
Exactly! She’s wearing same necklace he bought me!
WTF? Bastard!
Should I message her?
Hell yeah. If she went through what you have, might need her to testify if things get nasty.
K. Will do.
Let me know when she responds.
K. Love you. Talk later.
Yep! Love U 2!
I must’ve started my message to Lisa half a dozen times. I didn’t want to scare her or evoke memories she had long laid to rest.
Hi, Lisa. You don’t know me but I’m married to Eric Talbot. Things are very bad between us and I wondered if I could talk to you. I’m sorry for any pain you might have gone through, and if you are willing to speak with me, I’ll share my story with you. If you don’t want to speak with me, I understand and please forgive me for asking. I’m just trying to understand what happened over the last few months. Regardless of your answer, thank you for your time and I hope that in moving on with your life you’ve found happiness! Shelly.
I didn’t expect Lisa to respond so quickly, but a few minutes later she wrote:
We need to talk. What’s your number?
I gave her my number and she called immediately. The first thing I heard when I answered the phone was Lisa shouting. ‘Get as far away from that bastard as you can.’
‘I’m safe. I’m staying at my friend’s cabin.’
I could hear Lisa breathe a sigh of relief. ‘And he doesn’t know about the cabin?’
‘Right. He doesn’t know. Lisa, what happened? You sound as scared as I am.’
‘I don’t think I’ve ever stopped being scared,’ she said. ‘I jump at every little sound. I’m always looking around, frightened that he’ll show up in my life again. Look, I can’t talk now. I’m at work and stepped out of the building to call you because I wanted to warn you. But I can call you later. Just please take care of yourself. He’s a psychopath who doesn’t like losing or not being the one in control. If you ran from him, he’ll be extremely angry about it. He’s the one who does the discarding, the one who decides when it’s over. I still think I’m going to wake up in the middle of the night and feel his hunting knife running over my breasts and see his evil face staring down at me.’
I gasped.
‘Whatever you do, do not go back to him. He’ll say he’s changed and he might put on a good show for a while, but he’ll never change. He’s incapable of changing. He’s heartless, callous, cold and calculating. And he’s the most dangerous man I’ve ever known.’
‘Thank you, Lisa, for calling me back. There’s so much I want to talk to you about. I just don’t understand how I let this happen.’
‘Don’t beat yourself up. If I know Eric, he’s done plenty of that. Narcissists prey on a certain type of woman, women who don’t have a lot of self-esteem, who are gullible and naïve and believe in happy-ever-afters. Believe me, I’ve learned a lot since I was able to get away three years ago. I’ll call you later.’
‘Thanks.’
I sat on that rock for a long time thinking about what Lisa had said. I feared that Eric was even crazier than I’d thought. I needed to get a protection from abuse order. It was time to call my attorney.
As I walked back to the cabin, I couldn’t shake the thought I was being followed. I stopped a few times and turned around to check, but no one was there.
I figured I’d find Izzy lying on the recliner when I walked inside. It seemed to be her favorite perch, but she wasn’t there.
I went into the kitchen to boil some water and nearly fainted.
Eric’s satchel was on the table!
Chapter 37
I froze, feeling my legs weaken beneath me. My throat tightened and my heart raced. I trembled when I felt his hot breath on the back of my neck. I glanced at the table where I’d last seen my car keys. They were gone.
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I heard my keys dangle. ‘Is this what you’re looking for?’ Eric walked around so he was in front of me. He held my keys in one hand and the list I’d written in the other.
‘You think you’re going to divorce me, bitch?’ He clenched his teeth and tore up the list. ‘I’ll be the one to say when it’s over, not you.’ He poked my chest with his finger with such force that my upper body jerked back.
I looked down, desperately wanting to escape his menacing eyes.
‘Look at me, bitch!’ He slapped me across the face.
My hand flew to my right cheek and I looked into his beady eyes, fearing if I didn’t more harm would come to me. They were the eyes of Satan, I was sure.
‘Eric, please.’
He circled around me. ‘Eric, please.’ He mocked me. ‘You sound pathetic. You are pathetic. A pathetic whore! I bet you’re wondering how I found you. Did you think I was that stupid?’ He was back in my face again. ‘Did you think I’d rely on a tracker app you could easily delete from your phone?’
My eyes widened.
‘That’s right, bitch. I installed a tracker in your car. Hid it in the dash so you wouldn’t see it.’ He snickered.
My entire body shook and I sobbed uncontrollably. I’d never seen Eric so out of control and vicious. I feared for my life.
‘You thought you were so clever coming here.’ He continued his rant. ‘You’re not. You’re dumb. I have a dumb bitch for a wife. I need to smarten you up. I need to show you what happens when you don’t listen like you should. You’ve been a naughty girl. A very naughty girl. Do you know what I do with naughty girls?’
He walked over to the kitchen counter and pulled a knife out of the wooden block. ‘I thought you learned the other night what happens when you disobey me. Why do you disobey me, bitch? You know when you disobey me it only makes me angry. Do you like making me angry?’ He grabbed my chin and stared into my eyes. ‘Well, do you?’
He pointed the knife at my neck. ‘It would be so easy to end your life now. No one would know it was me. Jackie would tell them you came here to get away from me. I’m sure that bitch knows where you are, doesn’t she?’
I listened as he had a complete conversation with himself, detailing all the steps he’d take to ensure no one would know he was my killer.
‘Then just do it,’ I said. ‘I’d rather die than be married to you.’
This time he put both hands around my neck. I coughed. I thought he was going to choke me to death.
‘Shut up or I will shut you up.’ His eyes were evil daggers.
I became dizzy and thought I was going to pass out. He released his grip on my neck and I gasped for air and then coughed violently.
‘No. I have other plans for you. I thought we had a good thing, Shel. You worked hard to make me happy. I liked that. Sad, really, that it had to come to this. Why did you have to ruin everything?’
He stood behind me and pulled my hair so my head tilted back and I was looking into his ugly eyes, which grew darker by the second.
‘You belong to me. I own you. You are my possession, and I will do with you what I want.’ He let go of my hair.
‘Perhaps I just need to retrain you. Will that work? Yes, that’s it. We’ll spend the next several days retraining you to follow orders. Dogs sometimes must repeat obedience classes. Then we can go back home and live happily ever after. You, of course, will tell Jackie that we worked things out, that you no longer want a divorce.’
Listening to him having a conversation with himself was surreal. He’d pose a question and then answer it.
‘You need to think of me as your white knight once more, the one who you waited your entire life for. I could never allow you to damage my flawless image and superior status. The sooner you accept that you are the object of my pleasure, that you should be happy regardless of how I treat you, the easier your life will be.’
I will kill myself first! I thought.
‘Shall we get started?’
‘Please, just let me go. If there is any part of you that loved me, just let me go.’
‘In time,’ he said. ‘But not before I’m ready. I will discard you like the piece of trash you are when I’m done with you.’
He ripped off my shirt and the buttons flew everywhere. He picked up the knife he’d left on the table and pointed it at my chest, teasing me that he was going to cut me. I screamed as he slid the knife between my breasts and cut off my bra. My hands covered my breasts. I was afraid he was going to cut off my nipples.
‘Get undressed, bitch. Then get down on all fours.’ He sat the knife back on the table.
I knew better than to disobey Eric. I quickly took off my jeans, nearly falling over in the process. I got on all fours like Eric had instructed. He slapped my buttocks with his bare hand. It stung and I yelled.
‘Do you like being spanked?’ he asked.
‘No.’
He slapped me again. ‘I don’t like having to spank you. Why do you make me do things I don’t want to do?’ Another slap.
‘Please, stop. It hurts.’
He rubbed his hands over my butt. ‘It’s getting good and pink.’ Another slap.
‘Count down starting at ten,’ he demanded.
Slap!
‘Ten,’ I yelped.
Another slap.
‘Nine.’
Slap!
‘Eight.’
Somehow I managed to endure the abuse but I knew it would be difficult to sit through this much longer. I sobbed as he entered me from behind and grabbed the hair on the back of my head and pulled it.
‘Giddy-up whore!’
I wanted to die but instead I did everything he told me to do. I planned to escape, but it had to be at the right moment. Lying naked on the floor with him towering over me wasn’t the right moment.
Chapter 38
I lay on the floor naked in a fetal position while Eric sat on the recliner, his feet next to me. He kicked my stomach. ‘Take a shower, bitch! I want you clean for the next round.’
I struggled to stand. My entire body hurt. As soon as I stood, Eric pushed me to the floor. ‘Crawl, bitch.’
I crawled to the bathroom and Eric followed. The bathroom wasn’t that big, and Eric stood in the doorway as I showered. I scrubbed every inch of my body, trying to wash away the horror of the past hour. The thought of him touching me made me sick, and I tasted a vile liquid inch up my throat.
Suddenly an idea popped into my head. What if I suggested going for a hike and took him to the rock outcropping? Maybe I could jump in the water and escape. He wouldn’t jump in after me. He’d be too afraid. If I spent the next couple of hours flattering him and massaging his ego, he’d be more inclined to go.
I got out of the shower. My entire body ached and I was sure I’d be covered in bruises. Eric continued to watch as I dried myself, and he followed me into the bedroom. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I sat on the bed to put on my shoes. I wore canvas loafers instead of sneakers because they’d be easier to get off in the water.
Eric walked over and sat down beside me. ‘Listen, Shel. This can be easy, or this can be difficult. The choice is yours.’
‘I’ll behave. Just please don’t hit me anymore.’
He brushed my hair with his hands, and it made me shiver. After weighing my options, I thought my best chance to get away would be to play along with his demands and look for the right moment.
‘Good girl. Now how about making me some lunch?’
I nodded and he followed me into the kitchen.
‘Is grilled cheese okay?’
‘Yes.’
I retrieved the cast iron frying pan from the cabinet. I considered whacking him over the head with it. Or stabbing him with a knife. If I was sure I’d be strong enough to withstand a struggle, I would have done. No, I had to be smarter. Instead, I put the skillet on the stove and turned on the burner.
Eric watched as I buttered the bread. ‘I like mine well-done.’
&n
bsp; I was so fearful I felt as if my entire body was shaking. I took the cheese out of the refrigerator. ‘Is American cheese okay?’
‘Do you have another kind?’
‘No. I’m sorry.’
‘Then why did you ask me if I didn’t have a choice?’ He stood and walked over to me, pointing his finger at my chest. ‘This is what I’m talking about, Shelly. You’re stupid. You have zero intelligence. If there is no choice, why do you waste your breath asking the question?’
I bit my lip. ‘I was trying to be nice.’
‘No, you were taunting me.’ He tapped my chest with his index finger. ‘Just make the damn sandwich.’
I couldn’t stop shaking my leg. It’s what I did when I was nervous. Standing at the stove making the grilled cheese, I became aware of just how fast my leg was shaking.
‘Stop shaking that damn leg of yours. It’s annoying as hell.’
I slid a sandwich onto a plate and handed it to Eric. ‘Would you like some chips or pretzels?’
Eric smirked. ‘One day away from me and I see your old chip habit has returned. That’s not part of your diet, if I recall.’
I wanted to tell him that neither was cheese, but I didn’t dare speak for fear he’d become violent again.
I made a second grilled cheese and sat down across from him.
He sipped a beer he’d found in the refrigerator. It belonged to Jackie’s dad. ‘So, what shall we do today?’
I didn’t say anything.
‘I’m talking to you, bitch!’
I mashed my lips together, thinking for a few seconds about whether this was the right time to bring up going for a hike. Maybe if we were out in the open I’d see someone or find an opportunity to escape.
‘We could go for a hike. We had a great time when we hiked at the park.’
‘Until I wanted to fuck you and you wouldn’t let me. If we go on a hike, I will fuck you this time. Yes. Let’s go for a hike. You could use some exercise. You’re getting a little flabby around the mid-section.’
I felt my mid-section and pushed the grilled cheese away. I was no longer hungry.
‘You will be my bitch,’ he said. ‘And to keep you in line, I have just the thing.’
The Perfect Husband Page 18
