Now, she looked over at Harrison and saw the man at the bar. He seemed calm, even with everything happening in town. Sasha thought he knew how to treat a woman right, with respect and dignity. And, above all else, he did not seem like an abuser. Sasha would never go back. It would never happen to her again. Not after everything she had done to get away from Brent. There was no going back for her, ever. Sasha had done what she never thought she could to escape the clutches of that terrible man. No one but her mother knew her secret. Sasha had murdered her ex-husband.
Chapter Eleven
She knew she could never leave her husband. The first time she had threatened to leave him was also the last time she threatened it. The fight had escalated beyond anything she thought possible. He fell into a mad panic and lashed out with an open palm. The smack was so hard it busted her bottom lip open. After that, she was thrown to the ground like garbage.
He had tried to force her legs apart but Sasha attempted to hold firm. He smacked her groin over and over until it bruised. Finally, she had relented and opened her legs. While he did his deed, he gritted his teeth in her face. "You belong to me," he said. "If you ever leave me I will find you. I'll do worse than this to you. I'll fucking kill any man you're with. Fuck, I'll even have Tara."
"That's your daughter!" she cried but Brent only smacked her in the face.
"You shut up and stay still. I like my pussy silent."
Sasha knew divorce was out of the question. Did she really believe he would do as he promised? She wasn't sure. But she couldn't put her daughter in jeopardy like that. Watching her mom get hit was one thing but getting raped by her father, that would destroy her life. Years of therapy would hardly help her. In the end, she would end up with the same mental disorder her mother suffered from. Probably much worse. It wasn't a risk Sasha was willing to take.
She loathed the man for all of the things he had ever done to her but threatening her daughter was the worst. There was no chance of redemption for him. He was a disgusting pile of human waste and she would dispose of him as such.
He continued with his outbursts and she continued to take his beatings. His days were numbered. It was easier to take the abuse when you knew it wouldn't last much longer. Under the lie of grocery shopping, Sasha took her daughter to the library. Tara grabbed a handful of books and found a nice quiet corner to read.
Sasha went about some research. Particularly, ways to kill someone without leaving a trace. Using a library computer was the best way she knew to keep her search history clear. If she was ever suspected of murder, they wouldn't be able to prove premeditation at least.
She came across many articles that talked about the decomposition of the human body and the best methods of cleaning the scene so no trace could be found. But it was all from a professional standpoint. Something a crime scene investigator would use. She wanted the good stuff. She wanted advice on how to secretly kill someone.
It took several months, and countless trips to the library, to finally come up with the best method. The answer seemed so obvious. Poison. If done correctly, an autopsy could completely miss it. It could be mistaken for a heart attack, especially in heavier set victims with high cholesterol. It fit Brent perfectly. But, she had to be careful with the poison. Certain ones could be suspicious. Others could be found in the body naturally. Then there was the small issue of getting her hands on the right material.
During her research, she learned a car battery could become a source of poison. She simply needed a tub of water, a car battery, and a knife. If she could puncture the battery, she could then submerge it in the water and begin to serve the tainted drink to her husband. It would take several agonizing days to die but eventually, he would. She liked the idea and almost ran to Wal-Mart to buy a battery before realizing the major flaw. He never drank water. If she tried to force it on him, the plan might backfire. The beatings could get worse. He might even kill her or Tara. It wasn’t worth the risk. Though she liked the thought of making him suffer for days, she wanted something quicker.
She flipped through countless articles and posts outlining poisons and how they worked. Several seemed like a good idea but most were hard to come by. She had no seedy connections so anything illegal would be out. There had to be something which could be legally obtained and used as a poison. There had to be.
Then, she found it. The light in her mind clicked on with the realization of success. A little plant called Belladonna. It was perfect. The plant itself was highly toxic. Just a handful of berries could kill a human being. The name itself was perfect, too. Belladonna was Italian meaning beautiful lady. Could there be a more perfect cosmic justice by which to end his life? Sasha thought not.
Finding the berries or even the plant would be difficult. Though they were not illegal in the United States, she couldn’t find any way to buy the berries in her area. Brent would never allow her to head off on a road trip by herself. He would probably assume she was off to meet some boyfriend and she would find herself on the wrong end of another beating. No. She had to have the poison
