A Different Punishment - Ending

Chapter Three—Execution

During the next month Erica and I only communicated via text message. Initially it was daily but after a week or so it became every other day, then every two to three days. We didn't say much in the texts. And, for those who are curious, there was no sexting. Mostly she wanted to know how I was doing. I tried to keep my responses light. I didn't want her to know how little I was sleeping or eating. I was losing weight but didn't really care.

After the end of the first month of separation Erica quit texting and did not even respond to my texts anymore. I figured she had made her choice. After the six months the papers would be filed and our marriage dissolved.

Somewhere in this time period Erica's parents contacted me. They wanted to know my side of the story. Since Erica had signed the agreement I maintained the fiction of how we decided to separate for a bit to see if we could work things out. I don't think they were satisfied with my version of the events leading up to our separation. As a matter of fact my father-in-law pretty much accused me of fucking around on Erica and then had been bastard enough to throw her out of her own home.

I just about lost my temper then but managed to bite my tongue and just let his bullshit wash over me. I could always take a shower to wash the stench off.

Life went on. I was making enough to pay the bills and keep the house up. I harvested some beans and took them to Erica's parents. Erica's mom was thankful as Erica's dad wasn't much on gardening and she couldn't bend over to weed and pick beans as she had a bad back.

It had now been a couple of months since we split up. I still hadn't heard from Erica and assumed that she had decided that Glen was her next "love of her life".

Then I got a phone call from Erica's mother. I was a little concerned when her mother told me that they had not heard from Erica for a couple of weeks. That was strange as she never went more than a couple of days without talking to her mother or going over to their house to visit for a few minutes. Erica's mother actually couldn't remember the last time they had seen Erica in person.

As I ended the conversation I told them that I also had not heard from her for a while and that she had stopped answering text messages.

I called Erica but it went to voice mail without an answer.

The next day I went by the convenience store to see if Erica was working. Her car wasn't there so I paid at the pump and didn't go inside. I drove by a couple more days and her car was never there. Had she quit? I finally bit the bullet and stopped for a cup of coffee.

Erica was working the till just like normal. Her face brightened a bit when she greeted me when I came in the door. That wasn't unusual as the cashiers are supposed to greet everyone as they come in. It lets the customer know they have been acknowledged and the potential shoplifter know that he or she is being watched.

I stood in her line and gave her once over as she helped the people in line ahead of me. She didn't seem too much different than when she moved out. Her hair was slightly longer but she still kept it in a pony tail. She was wearing her normal amount of makeup, which was negligible.

When I got to the front of the line she just asked me how I was getting along. It wasn't something she didn't ask a hundred times a day, so that wasn't unusual. There was a long line behind me so I couldn't talk about her parents. I just assumed her car must be in the shop or something. Erica kept up her patter while she scribbled something on the back of my receipt before handing it to me and wishing me a great day.

I took my coffee and left. I sat in my truck as sipped the brew and thought about waiting until Erica got off for the day so we could talk for a few moment. As I tried to come to a decision I noticed the handwriting on the back of the receipt. Usually a cashier might put a smiley face on it or add their first name but this was different.

"My break is at 1. Please come back and see me then." This was all it said. Hmmm, does she want to tell me to my face it is over? If so, I could have my attorney file the paperwork and I would then sell the house so that we could split the equity and walk away.

Yep, I was going to be cold-hearted and rigid. She would never see me grieve for our lost love. Nope, not ever. Yeah, we all say that but when we are alone and it is quiet we all do the same thing. The loss of love is not easily dealt with. If it is that easy to just walk away then there wasn't much love in the first place. I found myself rocking back and forth in the cab of my pickup crying my eyes out. Shit, it's a wonder someone passing by didn't call the cops on me to check on my welfare.

I sniffled and coughed and snot was running out my nose and I didn't have a tissue or a handkerchief. I finally used a couple of napkins to wipe my face and blow my nose as I got some kind of control over my feeling of despondency. God, I might start reading romance novels if I kept acting this way. Erica had left a bunch so I wouldn't be embarrassed by going to a bookstore if I fell into the habit of reading tear jerkers.

It was only ten in the morning so I had some time to kill. I just moved down the street a half a block and watched the comings and goings at the store. I wasn't paying much attention but every so often the same car would come in and stop. The only reason I noticed it was because of the bumper sticker. The car itself was nothing to write home about but the bumper sticker was in pink and said, "Porn Star."

I used to see that on some of the high school girls' cars when I was in high school. It was supposed to show someone who was open to casual sex. Some of the scandals involving cell phone videos had tempered that bullshit so you just don't see it much anymore.

The next time the car came in I paid attention to the driver. He was a blonde guy about six foot tall. I suppose he was good looking as he was trim but I was too far from the store to see his features clearly. Could this be Glen? Was he checking on Erica? It never seemed he that he had anything in his hands when he came out of the store.

Alarm bells started to go off in my head. If this was Glen then Erica might be in physical danger.

We have all heard and read about control freaks, male and female, who have to control their significant other's every minute of the day. Friends are driven away. Family is marginalized. The control might become physical with beatings and worse.

I guess I needed to see my wife at one o'clock. If Glen showed up I would just have to throw the husband card.

I left the area and ran a couple of errands. I even stopped at the attorney's office and luckily she was between appointments and we discussed legal ramifications if what I suspected was true. Yes, she told me that I couldn't beat the shit out of Glen.

I got back to the store right at one. I parked right in front of the door and went in. Erica was finishing up with a customer and just nodded in my direction. Erica's boss was free for a moment so I stopped and chatted with her. "Look, just so you know, I think Erica's boyfriend will be back here in a few minutes. Erica wants to talk with me so, if it is okay with you, I will hustle her out to my truck and take her to a café for lunch so we don't make a scene here. Is that kosher with you?"

She nodded. "Yes, that fuckup Glen comes in constantly and just stands and watches Erica for a few minutes. He never says anything and occasionally buys a coffee so I don't tell him to leave. I don't like the looks of what he is doing but he isn't breaking any laws so I don't throw him out. I have told Erica many times to get him to not come in unless he buys something but she says he just wants to show her how much he loves her and can't stand to be away from her."

Damn, it sounds like Erica approves of his hovering. I nodded at her and went back and waited for Erica to clock out for lunch.

Just as I suspected Glen pulled in just as Erica came over to let me know she was ready to sit and talk.

"Erica, let's go somewhere quiet and have lunch. There is a small café a few blocks away where we can be uninterrupted and we can talk."

She started to protest a little but I had her by the elbow and was pushing open the door before she could stop me. The pickup was right there and I had the door open to hand her up into the seat as Glen was getting out of his car.

There was a "Hey, stop." I heard him yell as I closed the door and turned to the prick. "That's my wife, you asshole. Where do you think you are taking her?"

This was rich. "Your wife, you say! Last time I checked she was still wearing my wedding ring. You are just the fucked up boyfriend. Back off, Glen Baby, so I can take MY wife to lunch. She will be back in an hour."

Since he was a coward he just stood there and sputtered a bit as I went around and got in. He was still standing there as I pulled out of the lot. I figured he would follow us but he didn't.

Erica didn't say much as we went into the small café and took seats. I expected her to berate me for how I treated her lover but she disappointed me by remaining quiet. We ordered and then talked a little. I told her that I was taking cooking classes and improving my diet. She didn't say too much at first.

After we ate our sandwiches there was still a few minutes before I had to take her back. It was time for a few hard questions. I started with the easiest. "Where is your car? Is it in the shop or something?"

Erica shook her head. "It is fine. Glen just decided to be my ride to and from work to save wear and tear on it."

"Doesn't Glen work?"

"He recently became a day laborer. He wants to be a writer and felt this would give him more freedom to write."

I pondered this one for a few extra seconds. "Has he been published yet? Would I have found something online?"

She shook her head again. "I don't think he has completed anything to submit to a publisher, even an on line service like Literotica. "

"Well, I would like to read something he has completed, when it is done of course." I wasn't blowing smoke up her ass. It pays to know your enemy.

"By the way, your mother called. She says she hasn't heard from you for a while and she sounded a little anxious when she called. Is there some reason you haven't been in touch?"

She looked down at the last bite of her meal. "I have been busy."

"Busier than when we lived together? Are you working a second or third job or volunteering somewhere?"

The answer was short. "No."

"Please contact your parents. I don't expect you to call my folks since we are separated but this is your mother and father I am asking for."

She nodded.

"We haven't talked much recently. Have you decided whether to continue to be married to me or are we headed to divorce?"

"You quit calling me or even texting."

"I kind of gave up when you didn't respond any more to my overtures. By the way, where is your phone? I don't see it."

She was clutching at straws now. It was very obvious as she was getting agitated. "I lost it."

"Why didn't you call me from Glen's phone or even from work? I would have worked to get you a replacement since we are still on the same contract, at least for the next few months."

"Actually I know where it is. It is dead since I didn't take the charger with me."

"Really?" My eyebrows went up. "I could have found it and brought it to you. In any case any universal charger would work. I bet Glen's would even work for you."

"No, he won't let me use his stuff."

"I noticed that you clothes seem a little worn. Why aren't you wearing nicer clothes? I would think that with what you make and the additional money I put into your account weekly that you could afford nicer clothes."

She didn't have a ready answer to that. I had a suspicion that Mr. Rogers was stealing her money.

I let that subject go and went back to the big question. "Do you want a divorce?"

She burst into tears and shook her head. She couldn't speak for a few minutes. It hurt me to see her so conflicted but she was the one who had to make the decision. Sorry I don't share my toys. Either she is fully and completely mine or she is Glen's.

Unfortunately we were out of time. I paid the check and added a nice tip because of Erica's breakdown and herded her out to the truck and got her ensconced there. As we headed the few blocks back to the convenience store she got control of herself and blew her nose to clear her sinuses. She was then able to talk again.

We pulled up in front of the store. Glen wasn't there so Erica turned and tried to talk to me rapidly. "Look, Stan, I need to talk to you more. Can you come by tomorrow? It is my day off but I will tell Glen that the boss needs me for a couple of hours. We can talk then, please?"

I nodded. As she got out of the truck Glen pulled in. He took one look at her tear stained face and grabbed her roughly. He started to shake her as I got out of my side of the truck. I caught a couple of comments he directed at her and it pissed me off. "What did you tell him? You fucking whore, I suppose you sucked his dick just because he took you to lunch. I oughta beat your ass, bitch."

He reared back to deliver a slap but he didn't get time to complete the act. I might not be a former SEAL or a Ranger or SpecOps but I used to play football. My coach constantly yelled to "Drive through your opponent" and I did so now. When I lowered my shoulder and took Glen in the solar plexus he was wide open and unprotected. It was about six feet to the wall of the building and he hit the brick façade hard. There was a whoosh of air that escaped his mouth as I hit him and another as he hit the wall. Then came the painful grunt as I felt a couple of ribs give way.

I stepped back and he fell forward striking his chin on the edge of the sidewalk. It was a refreshing sight to see as blood spurted out of the cut on his chin. Glen didn't move. I checked quickly to make sure he wasn't dead. Lucky for me the bastard was breathing and had a good pulse. As I stood up I told Erica, "Go call 911. I think he needs to be transported to a hospital."

Erica was frozen in place. She had never seen me in any kind of physical altercation before. Hell, I couldn't remember the last time I actually took on someone myself. "Erica, dammit, go call 911! Your lover needs you right now."

The comment about her lover must have shaken her out of her frozen state. She shook her head and went inside to call for help. A couple of minutes later all of us standing outside could hear the sirens coming from a distance. I couldn't quite remember which firehouse the ambulance was stationed out of but it must not have been too far away as they seemed to roll up in just a couple of minutes. Since I didn't care one whit about Glen I wasn't too concerned about how long they took to get here.

A cop arrived with them. I don't know what Erica said to the dispatcher so I didn't really know if he was on scene to arrest me for assault. I guess I was resigned to face the music of what I had done but I was confident that I had done the right thing. Glen was going to hit my wife and I could not let that happen.

We might be separated. She might be a cheating bitch. We might still end up divorced but I still loved her and I could not stomach the thought of her becoming someone's punching bag. No woman deserved that even if she felt she deserved it.

Erica came back outside and stood beside me as the paramedics tried to figure out what had happened. The cop was asking different customers if anyone had seen what had happened. It seems no one was looking our direction when Glen "fell". Either that or Glen wasn't well thought of. I wasn't going to ask any questions right then.

When the paramedic asked for Glen's name Erica then stepped forward and told him. He immediately started to call Glen by name to see if he would respond. Glen was still completely out of it. He also seemed to be having some difficulty breathing so the second medic started to breath for him.

Soon Glen looked like someone had wired him for sound. He had a couple of IVs in his arms attached to bags of clear fluid. He had a needle in his chest. Damned if I know what that was for, but his breathing seemed to be easier even though the second medic was still breathing for him. He had a tube sticking out of his mouth that the bag thingy was attached to now so he could breathe directly into Glen's lungs. There was a collar around his neck and they used a device that kind of scooped him up and they used that to lift him to the stretcher. Their radios kept making squawking noises like someone was asking questions but the medics ignored them for a bit.

As they moved Glen to the ambulance one of the medics called a "Trauma Code" on his radio. Don't know what that was but it sounded serious. The questions came from his radio fast and furious for a moment but the medic just stated they had a male patient, early 30's in age, with blunt force trauma to head and chest and that he was unconscious. There were some other medical terms bandied about but I had no idea what the hell they meant. The ambulance was soon screaming down the street.

I turned to Erica. "Are you going to take Glen's car to the hospital or do you want me to drop you off?"

She seemed dazed. "What?"

I repeated myself. I just assumed she would want to be with her lover. If she took his car then she would have a way home later. Because of what I had seen the paramedics do for Glen I figured he wasn't going home today. Too fucking bad for him.

She still didn't seem to understand what I was asking. "Why would I go to him?"

"He's your fucking lover, roommate, whatever else you say to introduce him to your friends and family. I would always assume that you care for the stupid bastard and would want to be near him since he is hurt."

"I don't love him."

"Glad to see you are into casual sex now. Or is it prostitution since you live in his apartment and trade sex for rent?"

Erica finally seemed to grasp what I was saying. "You don't understand. That's why I wanted to talk to you. He is a controlling asshole. He took away the keys to my car so I couldn't leave him. He threw away my phone so no one could contact me. He drives me to work and then comes by multiple times a day to see who might be talking with me. He threatened my supervisor when she told him to quit hanging out inside the store. He tells me what to fix for meals and doesn't care what I want. I try to not have sex with him any longer since he doesn't try to get me excited at all and just takes me whenever he wants. He just fucks my face or my ass or sometimes my cunt, shoots his sperm and then just rolls over and goes to sleep."

She took a deep breath. "Lately he has started to slap me when he thinks it will get me going and then he slaps me when I don't do something exactly like he wants it done. I believe it will escalate into hitting and then what will I do?"

She grabbed my arm. "You taking him out gives me the opportunity to move out. I know you probably won't let me move back home but I need to get away from him. Please help me. I will do anything to repay you if you help me get out of his place and somewhere safe."

Now it was my turn to be flabbergasted. I had felt that Glen was an asshole and controlling but I didn't think he posed any physical threat to Erica. Now I had to reexamine everything but there was no time now. We needed to leave before the cop got to us. I touched Erica's arm and tossed my head toward the pickup. She nodded back and we kind of faded away from the crowd and walked to the corner where I hailed a cab cruising by. My truck was a little close to the action so I decided to just leave it there for a bit.