Chapter 5 - The Lifeline
I had secretly purchased a cheap prepaid burner phone during a rare, unsupervised trip to the local pharmacy two weeks ago.
I kept it constantly turned off and hidden securely inside the thick lining of my heavy winter coat in the hall closet.
That night, while Liam was taking a long, hot shower, I locked myself in the guest bathroom and nervously turned the device on.
I desperately dialed the toll-free number for a local domestic violence shelter that I had memorized from a flyer at the hospital.
A kind, incredibly steady voice answered on the second ring, instantly bringing a rush of emotional tears to my tired eyes.
"I desperately need help getting out, but my husband tracks my car and controls absolutely all of my money," I whispered frantically.
The advocate on the phone was incredibly professional, immediately giving me clear, concise instructions on how to safely disappear without a trace.
She explicitly told me to leave my wedding ring, my purse, and my primary cell phone behind so he absolutely couldn't track my location.
She provided me with a highly secure address for a massive, anonymous shelter located exactly three towns over from Portland.
"You need to leave when he is safely at work, and you absolutely cannot tell anyone where you are going," she warned me sternly.
I promised her I would be there by tomorrow evening, my heart pounding with a wild mixture of terror and absolute hope.
I quickly powered the cheap phone down and shoved it back into the secret lining of my coat just as the running shower stopped.
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Liam walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, smiling at me with those cold, entirely dead eyes.
"Are you feeling okay today, Emily, because you look a little pale tonight," he asked, completely unaware that I was already essentially gone.
