Mark: Clara! Get back in here right now! Don't you walk away from me!
Clara: Keep your hands off me, Mark. Don't come near me.
Mark: You think you can just leave your ring on the counter and run off?
Clara: That ring doesn't mean anything anymore. And neither do you.
Clara grabbed her leather shoulder bag from the hall coat rack, her hands shaking so hard she could barely grip the strap.
Mark: You're acting insane! It was just a slap! You pushed me to my limit!
Clara: You hit me, Mark. You put your hands on me in my own home.
Mark: This is MY house! I pay the mortgage on this place!
Clara: You pay half the mortgage! I'm on the deed, Mark!
Mark: Good luck keeping up with your payments without my salary! You'll be back on your knees in two days!
Clara opened the front door, the cool morning air washing over her burning skin.
Clara: I would rather sleep in my car than spend another second under this roof with you.
Mark: Fine! Walk out! See if I care! But don't come crying to me when you realize you have nowhere to go!
Clara slammed the heavy front door shut behind her, the sound echoing through the quiet suburban neighborhood. She ran down the concrete driveway, her heels clicking fast against the ground as she unlocked her small sedan.
She threw her purse onto the passenger seat, climbed inside, and locked all the doors. The moment the locks clicked, she collapsed over the steering wheel, heavy sobs wracking her entire body. She held her face in her hands, her left ring finger feeling unnaturally light and cold.
Her phone in her purse began to buzz repeatedly. She reached inside, expecting to see Mark's name on the screen, but the caller ID showed the name of her elder brother, David.
Clara swiped the screen, her voice trembling as she pressed the phone to her ear.
Clara: David...
David: Clara? Hey, what's wrong? Why do you sound like that?
Clara: David, please... can I come over to your apartment?
David: Of course you can. Clara, are you crying? What happened?
Clara: Mark... he hit me, David. He slapped me across the face.
There was a beat of pure, terrifying silence on the other end of the line.
David: What did you just say?
Clara: We got into an argument in the kitchen... I took my ring off. I left him.
David: Where are you right now?
Clara: I'm in my car, parked right outside the house.
David: Drive straight to my place. Do not go back inside. Do not answer his calls. Do you hear me?
Clara: I hear you. I'm starting the engine now.
David: I'm calling our lawyer, Clara. Mark is going to regret the day he was born.
Clara put the car in reverse and pulled away from the curb. In her rearview mirror, she saw Mark standing by the living room window, holding a coffee cup, watching her drive away with a smug, arrogant smile on his face. He truly believed she would break within forty-eight hours. He had no idea what was coming.