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as much pain as she was. Not even close.
         Her teeth bared, she screamed a final “ Fuck you !” at the wall and this time she did leave, though not to her bedroom. She stormed out of the house, slamming the door as hard as she could and when the slutty neighbor from across the street smiled and waved at her, she screamed, “And fuck you too, you fucking whore!”
         She got into her car and sped off in a cloud of pissed-off scorn.
     
    * * * * *
     
         It wasn’t until later that she wondered if the police might become involved. Was she now guilty of being a batterer? Even though she was a woman, she thought she probably was and the law wouldn’t care that he’d had it coming to him. That he’d been antagonizing her.
         She could only hope that if the bastard did decide to press charges, the judge would go easy on her. She’d never had a history of violence before and what were the chances that she’d done any real damage to Wally? He was 12 feet tall, for crying out loud! He was much bigger than she was—maybe she could claim self defense?
         Either way, she felt certain that he would wonder where she’d gone and, even better, wonder if she was ever coming home.
         Good, she thought. Let him wonder. Let him worry. Let him see what it feels like to walk in my shoes!
         She spent that night in a motel and went to work from there the next day, dressed in the same clothes she’d been in the day before. She ignored the strange looks from her co-workers and she most definitely did not call home to leave a message of love.
     
    * * * * *
     
         When she did arrive home, she was distressed to see a stack of bills waiting for her in the mailbox. She snatched them up, went inside, and marched right up to the wall, waving them in front of it.
        “ You see these?” she asked. “You know what these are? They’re shut off notices! And do you know why we have shut-off notices? Because I’ve been footing all the bills on my measly salary from the crappy-ass job that I hate, that’s why! But do you care? No, of course not! You’re more than happy to let your woman bring home all the bacon while you just hang around all day, watching TV, watching that goddamn slut across the street, doing God only knows what else! Don’t you think I’d like a chance to kick back once in a while? Has that ever even entered your selfish little mind? Maybe I’d like to hang around doing nothing all day, while you go earn some fucking money and then come home to find me doing what? Hanging around, of course! And then, when you’re exhausted and aggravated from your shitty job, you could run around and make me dinner and dust my fucking baseboard ! Now, wouldn’t that be a great change! Huh? ANSWER ME YOU BIG FUCKING RED ASSHOLE!”
         But, of course, the wall didn’t answer her. It just stood there looking bored and disinterested and not even slightly worried about the bills.
         She was just about to lunge at it, slam her fists into it, when the telephone rang. Glaring at it, she briefly considering ripping it out of the wall and throwing it at Wally.
         Instead, she snatched it up and yelled, “What?”
         Her face bloomed nearly as red as Wally’s as she listened briefly.
        “ Who the fuck do you think I’m screaming at, you nosy old fart? My stupid fucked-up boyfriend ! Who the hell else would I be screaming at? Mind your own goddamn business before I come over there and shove a cattle prod up your wrinkled old ass!”
         She pressed end and then threw it at the wall, where it bounced off, hit the floor and promptly broke in half.
        “ Fuck all y’all!” she screeched at the ceiling before grabbing the stereo remote and cranking it as loud as it would go, intentionally trying to annoy the neighbors.
     
    * * * * *
     
         When the police showed up twenty minutes later, she hadn’t calmed down in the least and