Retribution

by K. A. Robinson

  When the elevator doors slid open, I stepped out and walked down the hallway to Robert’s office. I stood outside for a moment before knocking. Only a few seconds after my knuckles hit the door, it opened, and Robert was in front of me.

  He smiled as he opened the door wider. “Please come in, Claire.”

  I gave him a small smile as I moved past him. I stopped a few feet inside his office. As he closed the door, I shifted my weight from foot to foot. I knew I looked as nervous as I felt, but I couldn’t help it.

  “Relax, please,” Robert said as he walked around me to sit behind his desk. “Have a seat. I ordered lunch for both of us.”

  I noticed two Styrofoam containers sitting on his desk as I sat down across from him. He slid one over to me.

  “It’s not five-star dining, but it’ll do,” he said as he opened his own container.

  I traced the outside of my container as I watched him. “Is there any specific reason you asked me to join you?”

  He nodded. “Yes, there is. I wanted to see how you’re doing so far with your new job. We haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet.”

  “That’s because you haven’t come home,” I pointed out.

  “I’ve started working on a new case that’s taking a lot of my time. I stayed here last night.”

  I bit my lip for a moment. “I understand work is important to you. I really do. But how do you think we’re going to work out our…issues if you’re never home?”

  He pushed his container away and rested his elbows on his desk. “You’re absolutely right, and I owe you an apology. I want us to work more than anything in this world, Claire. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel like you aren’t important to me because you are.”

  “You’re important to me, too.”

  “Then, let’s fix this, shall we? Starting right now, I plan to make you see just how much you mean to me.” He smiled at me. “And I promise to be home every night from now on unless I let you know ahead of time. Does that seem fair?”

  “Yes, it does. Thank you.” I returned his smile.

  “Perfect. Now, tell me about work. Are you enjoying yourself here?” he asked.

  “I am. It’s nice to get out of the house and do something. I don’t do well with just sitting around. I get antsy.”

  He chuckled. “I noticed that. I’m glad that you’re enjoying your time here.”

  “I like it. Becky has me filing downstairs right now. She said she would have me running errands once I get caught up with the files.”

  “Good. If you get bored or would prefer to do something else, let me know, and I’ll take care of it.”

  I shook my head. “I’m fine doing whatever she needs me to do. I don’t expect special treatment, Robert. I’m your wife, yes, but here, I just want to be another employee.”

  “Fair enough,” he said as he resumed his lunch.

  We ate in silence after that. I wasn’t sure what to say to Robert. While I hoped his words were true, I couldn’t help the doubt that continued to creep in on me. I wanted to forgive him, and I knew he needed my forgiveness so that we could move on. I only hoped that things would get better for us.

  Later that night, even more doubt crept in when Robert didn’t come home.

  The moment I walked into work the next morning, I knew something was wrong. The previous two mornings, I had noticed a few people ambling around, chatting with each other, each person with a coffee cup in hand. This morning, no one but Gina was around. Even she seemed a bit down. She simply looked up, nodded, and then turned back to her computer. I raised an eyebrow as I walked to the elevator, wondering what was going on.

  The second floor was just as silent as the first. I walked into Becky’s office and cautiously watched her. She was elbow-deep in paperwork. When I cleared my throat, she jumped and looked up.

  “Claire, I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “Obviously,” I said as I sat down in the chair across from her. “What are you working on?”

  “A bunch of junk that makes me want to pull my hair out,” she said grimly.

  “Need help?”

  “Nah, I’m good. I need you to head down to the basement and file a few things. That should take you most of the morning. I’ll have something else for you after lunch.”

  “Sounds good.” I paused. “Is everything okay, Becky? The whole office seems kind of…subdued. The only person I saw on my way up was Gina, and she didn’t even speak to me.”

  Becky looked weary. “I thought you of all people would know what’s going on.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t have a clue.”

  “Oh. Well, things are a bit tense around here today because we lost a case yesterday.”

  I frowned. “What’s the big deal? I mean, I get that losing a case sucks, but it shouldn’t be that much of big deal.”

  “It is. The case was huge. Your husband has been storming around here like he’s about to take heads off. I think he blames himself. He was originally the one who was working on it, but he handed it off to someone else when he…” She looked embarrassed. “Well, when he decided to marry you. He was sure that they had a win, so he let it go. Turns out, the prosecution had more than we’d realized. They pulled an ace out of their sleeve at the last possible moment. Robert probably could have salvaged the case. That man could win just about any case he took on, but the other lawyer couldn’t. Robert is furious.”

  “Huh¸” was all I said.

  That explained why Robert hadn’t come home last night. I felt a twinge of guilt over my part in the loss though. I remembered Robert telling me before we were married that he was going to hand the case off so that he could spend more time with me. It was my fault that the firm had lost the case.

  “I would stay clear of him today, Claire. I mean, I know you’re married and all, but he’s in a foul mood. He gets like this occasionally, but this is the worst I’ve ever seen him. He’s just looking for an excuse to lose it on one or even all of us.”

  “I’ll be sure to stay away,” I said with a weak smile. “I seem to be a professional when it comes to pissing him off.”

  I piss him off enough that he slaps me. I thought the words, but I wouldn’t dare say them.

  “Most married couples are that way,” Becky said with a sympathetic grin.

  “Anyway, I’ll head down to the basement to start filing. If I’m not back by noon, send a search party—and cookies.”

  She laughed. “I won’t let you starve to death down there, I promise. Have fun.”

  “Always,” I said. I stood and walked out of her office.

  I rode the elevator down to the basement and headed to where the files were waiting. I spent the entire morning filing. By the time lunch rolled around, my eyes were crossing. I was pretty sure I would be filing in my sleep.

  I spent my lunch break with Becky. We walked down the street to a small café. While I didn’t consider a pastry and coffee much of a lunch, I had fun talking with Becky. She seemed like a genuinely nice person, and I enjoyed her company. I was surprised when she told me she’d been with the firm for almost ten years. I was even more surprised when she admitted that she was thirty-two. She didn’t look older than twenty-five. Go her.

  When we returned to the office, she sent me off on a few errands. It was a nice change of pace, especially since I had been dreading going back downstairs. It didn’t take me long to finish the errands. When I called to see if Becky needed anything else, she told me to head home. I was relieved. The thought of more filing made me cringe.

  I drove home. As soon as I walked inside the house, I hurried up to my room to change. Coming home was quickly becoming my favorite part of the day. While I did enjoy working again, I preferred the solitude of the house.

  I changed into a T-shirt and a pair of shorts before returning to the living room. I flipped on the television to some mindless talk show before heading into the kitchen for a snack. I smiled when I saw that Ellie had left a sandwich for me in the fridge.
She seemed to be acting more and more motherly every day.

  I carried my sandwich back to the living room and dropped down onto the couch, tucking my feet underneath me. As I ate, I flipped through the channels, hoping to find something decent to watch. I finally ended up watching a show on the History channel.

  I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on the couch. I only got up once when the pizza I’d decided to order showed up. Other than that, I was a lazy bum, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

  Around nine thirty, I saw lights flashing through the front windows. Robert was finally home. At least, I hoped it was Robert instead of Cooper. I didn’t feel like dealing with him tonight.

  I kept my attention on the television as I debated on what to do about Robert. Becky had said he was in a foul mood, and I didn’t want to provoke him. It might be better if I shut off the TV and went to my room. I couldn’t piss him off if I wasn’t around.

  Before I could decide what to do, I heard the door that led to the garage open. It was too late to leave now. I sighed as I heard movement in the other room. Robert appeared a few seconds later. I looked up and gave him a tentative smile. He didn’t smile back. Instead, he walked—no, he stumbled his way toward me. As soon as he reached the couch, I smelled it—alcohol. I was well accustomed to smelling alcohol on men. Most of my foster dads had had a taste for it. I would know that smell anywhere. It clung to Robert, letting me know that he had been drinking a lot. I winced at that thought because he’d driven home on his own.

  He just stood there and stared down at me.

  I gave him a small smile. “You okay?” When he didn’t answer, I spoke again, “I heard about the case.”

  He still didn’t speak, but I saw his nostrils flare. He was still pissed.

  Wonderful.

  “Robert?” I asked, suddenly cautious.

  Rage was burning in his eyes, rage that I had never witnessed in him before.

  “You caused this,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You’re the reason we lost that goddamn case! If it weren’t for you, I would’ve handled it. Now, I’m left with nothing but a shitstorm while you sit there on your ass! This is your fault!”

  I stood even though a voice in my head told me not to get near him. “Excuse me? I didn’t tell you to let that case go! That was your decision! Don’t you dare blame me for what happened. If I had begged you to let it go, that would’ve been a different story, but I didn’t!”

  He stepped closer until he was glaring down at me. “Whenever you’re around, things always get fucked up.”

  I glared at him. “You know what? Forget it. You’re drunk and acting like an ass. I’m not dealing with it. Sleep it off, Robert, and then we can talk in the morning.”

  I shoved past him and started for the stairs. Before I could reach them, Robert grabbed my hair. I cried out as he jerked me backward. My scalp screamed in protest as I fell to the floor.

  “What the fuck?” I shouted.

  “You’re my wife. You don’t walk away from me!” Robert said as he stood over me.

  “You’re out of your mind! I can’t believe you laid a hand on me again. You’ll never learn!”

  I stood slowly and tried to back away from him. I wouldn’t let him know that I was absolutely terrified of him. He followed me with an angry look on his face.

  “Running won’t help you, Claire.”

  “Get away from me, Robert. I mean it. You’re acting like a psycho,” I said as the back of my legs hit the arm of the couch. I was pinned between it and him.

  Great.

  “You walk around like you’re untouchable. It’s time you learned your place. I’ve let you get away with too much for far too long,” he said as he grabbed my arm.

  “What are you—”

  Crack.

  My words were cut off as he slapped me hard across the face. The last time he’d slapped me felt like a love tap compared to how hard he’d just now slapped me.

  My head whipped to the side as I cried out in pain. Automatically, my hand tried to rise to touch my cheek, but he still held my arm in an iron grip.

  Before I could recover, he raised his hand and brought it down again. I saw it coming, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. Instead of the palm of his hand meeting my face, it was a fist. I screamed as his knuckles drove into my skin. He released me, and I fell backward onto the couch. Tears streamed from my eyes as I tried to roll and scramble away.

  This can’t be happening. It can’t.

  I dropped down onto the floor and tried to crawl out of his reach. It was no use. He grabbed my foot and yanked me back to him.

  “You’re not leaving until I’m finished with you.”

  He released my foot, and I turned to him.

  “Robert, please.” My voice shook with fear.

  I was terrified of him in this moment. I had no idea what he planned to do to me. He was out of control.

  Instead of answering, he kicked me in the ribs. I cried out as I tried to curl into a ball to protect myself. My hands went over my head, praying that he wouldn’t kick me in the face. I held my breath as he kicked me in the stomach again. The pain was blinding. When he grabbed my arm and pulled me up to my feet, I didn’t even look at him. I couldn’t. He drew back and slammed his fist into my upper cheek and eye. He dropped me on the ground and turned away.

  “Things are going to change around here, Claire. It’s time you realize that you’re nothing.” Then, he stumbled out of the room.

  A few minutes later, I heard his car start in the garage. When the sound of its engine faded into the night, I realized that I was alone. I was so desperately and completely alone, beaten and lying on the floor, with no one to help me.

  I was alone.

  When I came to, all I could hear was someone throwing obscenities around like it was going out of style. I started to raise my head but stopped myself. It hurt to move, and I wasn’t up to lifting my head. It would have to wait. I let out a groan of pain when I realized that every inch of my body from my waist up was screaming in pain.

  At the sound of my groan, the cursing stopped. I opened my eyes when a shadow fell over me. Cooper was standing above me. His eyes were full of the same hatred I’d seen in Robert’s earlier, and I instantly shied away from him. I didn’t think I’d survive if Cooper started hitting me, too.

  “Claire, are you okay?” Cooper’s voice sounded much closer now.

  I opened my eyes to see him crouched down next to me. I just stared at him. He’d been right when he told me that I’d eventually see the monster lurking just under the surface. Robert had shown his true colors tonight, and I’d been the center of his attention.

  “Claire? Talk to me, please. Are you okay? Do I need to call an ambulance?”

  “No, no ambulance. I’m fine,” I blurted.

  The thought of anyone else seeing me like this made me want to die. I didn’t want anyone to know how weak I really was. I hadn’t even tried to fight Robert off because I knew I couldn’t. I was weak, both mentally and physically.

  “You don’t look fine. You look like someone just beat the hell out of you.” Cooper hesitated for a moment. “I’m going to help you up onto the couch, okay?”

  I nodded, and his arms slid underneath me. I tensed as he carefully lifted me. I dug my nails into his arm as the pain in my stomach doubled. I could feel my pulse in my cheek, every beat of my heart causing my face to flare with pain.

  He gently placed me on the couch before sitting down next to me. I lay my head against the back and closed my eyes. I truly felt as if I would break in two at any moment.

  “I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but I need to know what happened,” Cooper said.

  I didn’t even bother to open my eyes. “We both know what, or rather who, happened.”

  Cooper cursed. “My father?”

  I nodded.

  “But why? What on earth made him do this
to you?”

  “The firm lost the case he let go of to be with me. The girl I work with warned me that he was on a rampage today, so I made sure to avoid him. Then, he came home tonight, drunk and angry. He blamed me and took out his frustration on me.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Cooper mumbled.

  I winced as he pushed a few strands of hair out of my face.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to get checked out, Claire? Your eye is black already, and from the way you were curled in on yourself, I’m betting he got a few solid stomach hits in.”

  “I’ll be fine. He didn’t do anything more than bruise my face and ribs. If he had broken them, I wouldn’t be able to breathe this easily.”

  We sat in silence for a few minutes. I kept my eyes closed as I tried to focus on the parts of me that weren’t throbbing. I needed to distract myself, or I was going to lose it and start crying. I couldn’t do that, not in front of Cooper.

  “So, what happens now?” Cooper finally asked.

  “I have no idea,” I said. “I really don’t want to think about it right now.”

  “Will you let me help you up to your room then? You need to rest.”

  I nodded as I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. Cooper watched me with a look of pity on his face. I hated that look, especially coming from him. I ignored it as I stood. I gripped the arm of the couch to keep me upright. My legs felt like jelly, and I wasn’t sure if they would support me or not.

  Cooper was up and by my side in a flash. He gripped my arm and helped me make my way ever so slowly to the staircase. I held on to the banister while he held me as we made our way up the stairs. I was terrified that he would let go of me, and I’d go tumbling down, but he never did. When I stopped at the top to catch my breath, he waited patiently.

  “Take your time, Claire,” he said.

  I started moving forward again. When we reached my room, he swung the door open and helped me inside. As soon as we made it to my bed, I dropped down on it. I was totally exhausted.