Charles stood in the hallway way stupefied, he was struggling to come to terms with what had just happened.
For the first time in twelve years Avery stood up to him with fearless venom.
She stopped him from hitting her, held his hand with a firm grip, looked straight into his eyes and in a stern voice bawled
“Charles Wiafe, this is the last time you will ever conceive the idea of hitting me. You need to get rid of that toxic masculinity, you are a sick man,Charles get help”
He banged his hand on the dinning table to redeem what was left of his deflated ego, “listen real good Avery” before he could make his point, Avery enraged with anger and deep seated pain banged her hand on the table five times.
“ I don’t know why and how I endured a decade and two years of your unprovoked merciless beating and emotional abuse.
Charles I am serving you notice that it all ends here and now, you are a sick man get help NOW”
Charles wondered what had possessed Avery, she had always taken his beatings in peace and never dared to talk back let alone call his bluff.
“ Avery the battle lines have been drawn” Charles shouted as he stormed off and slammed the door angrily.
The last she heard of him was his tyres squealing in the drive way, it’s been a week and three days….no sight of him, no word from him.
Avery cried her heart out, with her chest heaving, tears of relief from a deep place.
She looked into the mirror with a sense of pride and accomplishment, this is a long time coming she said to herself.
“Avery am sorry it took so long to stand up for you when it mattered most, I promise to do right by you henceforth”
Before they got married Avery noticed Charles got angry rather easily but he always argued there were too many unintelligent people around him.
During one of their wedding rehearsals the Chief bridesmaid was late for an hour, Charles angrily pulled off her wig, he refused to apologize and she walked away and refused to attend the wedding.
Anytime they had disagreements he makes unsavory remarks about Avery and angrily storms off and for three days she doesn’t hear from him.
Avery convinced herself no one is perfect and as long as he was not physical she could live with it.
Avery got pregnant soon after they got married, she became very heavy and slow during the seventh month.
Charles got upset and hit her over very trivial things. He beat her to pulp once because his food was not hot enough and forcibly pushed her under the bed. She went into premature Labour and eventually lost the baby
Avery felt uncomfortable and nervous any time she was in public with her husband. He doesn’t miss the opportunity to belittle and make her feel unworthy with his infamous story of how his older brother convinced him to marry her although he was rather interested in a more beautiful lady who came from a prominent family.
On two ocassions Charles changed the locks to the house because they had an argument the previous day and she managed to escape his beatings which made him extremely angry.
She had to sleep rough for two nights because she was too ashamed to tell anyone her predicament.
Thankfully she chanced on her Chief bridesmaid Charles humiliated before the wedding. She was a trained therapist and run a shelter for abused women.
She was of tremendous help, after series of therapy sessions, Avery found and knew her self worth.
She also took intense karate lessons for self defence. April 4th was a test of of the woman she was becoming.
Charles interestingly reported Avery to her parents, older siblings and pastors accusing her of gross insubordination.
Avery got more convinced that if there was any minute chance of their marriage ever working Charles needed “serious fixing”.