Carol walked down the street as she did every morning to buy the milk and the newspaper. She often whistled to herself, not quite understanding why. She felt like she was talking to herself when she whistled.

As she settled into her new chair in her new home, Carol drank coffee as she read the headline of the newspaper. "GARNETT STILL MISSING." She laughed. No-one would ever find Mary Garnett.

Carol snuggled into the chair, closed her eyes and smiled. Life was so different now. Different, but so much better. She felt sad as memories of Michael entered her mind. Poor Michael. He hadn't realised what he was doing was so hurtful and traumatising. His father did the exact same thing to his mother, and she never left him. Michael probably thought he could get away with it, too - but he didn't. She remembered the day she left it all behind. He had come home from work late again and caught her on the phone to her counsellor, Ronni.

"What do you think you are doing, woman? Who are you talking to?", Michael Garnett stuttered as he tried to walk in the door, the familiar stench of alcohol wafting through the house.

Mary froze as she heard his all-too-familiar voice. Fear enveloped her, she could not move. "No-one, I'm not talking to anyone, Michael." She spoke as calmly as she could.

He smirked. "I can read you like a book, sweetheart." His smirk faded. "You ain't lying to me now, are you sweetheart?" The tone of his voice hardened, his eyes narrowed. "It was just a wrong number, Michael," Mary said, a square smile plastered upon her face. "Liar!" Michael ran as fast as lightning through the lounge room, flinging his hard muscular body against Mary's frail figure. Mary gasped as she fell to the ground.

"Oof!" She groaned as MichaelŐs hand slapped her delicate face. His knuckles found her stomach several times, as well as her legs, arms and face.

"Liar! liar! liar!" Michael Garnett chanted as he kept hitting, slapping and punching. Mary was helpless, she could not fight back. She just lay there and waited. She knew it had to stop sometime.

Michael grew tired quickly, and grunted as he fell asleep on Mary. Mary was so exhausted, she felt like he was smothering her. She used all her energy as she shoved him off her body.

"Liar," Michael mumbled as he fell asleep gain. Mary breathed deeply and calmly with her eyes closed, too scared to open her eyes and see her battered body, which was causing her so much pain.

A few seconds later, Mary slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils widened when she saw herself. Her whole body was covered in cuts and bruises, and she couldn't move her arm. Michael was snoring loudly beside her. She couldn't take this anymore. As much as she loved her husband, she couldn't put up with him hurting her so often.

Mary got up slowly, careful not to make too much noise. She went to the bathroom and cleaned herself up as best as she could. She took her purple scarf out of her hair and made it into a sling to hold her arm. She was breathing so hard she thought Michael would wake up.

Mary went to her bedroom and pulled the largest suitcase from the closet. Through tears, she pulled her clothes from the closet, not caring what she put in there. She closed the case and sobbed. When she could cry no more, she walked into the lounge and stared at Michael. She didn't leave a note, he didn't deserve an explanation. She stepped out of the front door and smiled. There was a whole new life, a whole new beginning waiting for her out there. She just had to find it.

As she was bought back to reality, Carol realised she had found that new beginning. It wasn't hard. Although changing her identity was! Sometimes she still signed her name as Mary Garnett. She didn't know why she put up with the abuse for so long, although she was always scared that Michael would find her if she left him, and do something out of control. But she overcame that fear. She had to take that risk, because Michael would have eventually killed her, if not literally, mentally.

She admitted to herself, sometimes she missed Michael. He could be a caring man... occasionally. Now her life had changed a lot, for the better - a new job, in which the pay was almost double what she had been earning before, and a lovely new house for her to call her own. It was so peaceful and quiet now... but it wouldn't be if Michael ever found her.