A Comeback Life
Chapter 1
Last life, that jerk of a husband abused me.
I snuck out with my daughter, Sarah, while he
was at the bar.
I told Sarah a million times not to tell him our
new address.
She promised, but then blabbed it to him
anyway.
He beat me to death in our crummy
apartment.
Sarah just cried, like it was my fault.
く
“What did I do wrong? I just wanted a family!”
she wailed.
Oh, really?
Well, this time around, you can be locked
down with your precious daddy.
1
I was packing boxes, reliving the nightmare.
Mark, that was my husband’s name, was a
real piece of work.
He was a violent, controlling monster.
He’d hit me, scream at me, and threaten to
kill me and Sarah if I even thought about
divorce.
<
So, when he went out drinking with his
buddies, I grabbed Sarah and bolted.
I ditched my phone, cut off all contact with
my old friends and family.
I drilled into Sarah’s head that she couldn’t
contact Mark.
She swore she wouldn’t, but behind my back,
she texted him, saying she missed him.
He sweet–talked her, and she spilled our
address faster than you can say “child
endangerment“.
He showed up that night.
Broke down the apartment door and started
punching and kicking me.
く
I couldn’t fight back.
I died right there on the floor.
The local news went nuts, and reporters
swarmed.
Sarah stood there, all big–eyed and innocent.
“What did I do wrong?” she sobbed. “I just
wanted a whole family! If Mom hadn’t run
away, Dad wouldn’t have gotten so mad and
hit her so hard!”
Later, she testified in court that Mark hadn’t
meant to kill me.
That it was an accident.
L
He got off with an abuse charge, did five
years, and walked.
When he got out, Sarah was all grown up, and
they were a happy little family, like I never
even existed.
And me?
I had a miserable life, just to get stabbed in
the back by my own kid.
But somehow, I got a do–over.
The rage hit me like a tidal wave.
I was shaking with fury.
Just then, Sarah, ponytail swinging, walked
into the room.
く
She saw the half–packed suitcase and
frowned.
“Mom, are you running away again?” she
whined.
She kicked the suitcase towards the wall.
“You’re so dramatic, Mom. Dad works so
hard, he just has a bad day sometimes. So
what if he hit you a couple times? You’re
acting like the world is ending! And what’s the point of running away? He’ll just find us
and beat you some more!”
Her words were like a punch to the gut.
Exactly like the last time.
Something clicked in my head.
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My suspicion just spilled out.
“You always tell Mark where we are, don’t
you?”
She recoiled, like I’d slapped her.
Her face just then had been full of teenage
angst.
“If I didn’t tell him when he was cooled off,
would you rather I have no family at all?”
So, that’s how it was!
Every time Mark beat me, I’d take Sarah and
run back to my parents‘ place.
But they passed away, my brother sold the
So, I ended up in hotels.
No matter how far I went, Mark always found
- us.
I couldn’t figure out how he managed to track
us down.
Now I knew it was this little viper feeding him
information!
The old anger and the new rage combined.
I couldn’t hold back.
I slapped her hard across the face.
She never expected that.
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She covered her cheek, glaring at me.
“You hit me!”
“Damn right, I hit you!”
I slapped her twice more.
The red marks on her face barely soothed the
anger.
“Ungrateful little brat,” I snarled. “Get out!”
She stared at me, pure hatred in her eyes.
She was only eight, but she looked just like
that monster, Mark.
I kicked her out, scared that I’d kill her if I
locked at her one second longer.
