Finding Charlie Rose

Four years ago

Sally had found herself pregnant again to a horrible man. He wasn't always like that, no when they first met he was charming and loving and swept her off her feet. As the years went on the more children she had, the worse he got. Jackson wanted to have a girl and each time Sally birthed a boy he became worse.

Her eldest son Samuel or Sam as he liked to be called had not been anywhere near his mother in close to 3 months. Sam had just turned 18 when Sally found out she was pregnant again. He was the one who used to come to help patch her up when her husband was violent. He was wanted by Jackson but when the other three weren't girls she had copped it.

Her second oldest son, Oliver was 17 and he was a sensitive boy. Several times he had tried to get in between his mum and his father so his father would stop hurting his mum. Sally had hated it when that happened. While Jackson had never actually laid a hand on her children, she was scared that he would and she would rather be hurt than see her kids hurt.

Liam had just turned 16 and had always stayed away when his father was around. He loved his mum dearly and hated what his dad would do. He had talked to his father several times who had used his mother to get him to toe the line. He threatened to hurt his wife more if Liam didn't back off and let them be.

Last but not least was Byron. He was 15 and was always a mummy boy. Where his mum went he went until his father made him hurt his mother by staying away from her. It hurt him a lot but Jackson had promised his son he would stop bringing the mistresses home if Bryon had nothing to do with his mother. He couldn't even look his mother in the eyes anymore because he saw how broken she was. He didn't see the bruises on her face or arms anymore because he no longer looked at her.

Jackson moved his mistress into the house and paraded her around while he treated his wife like trash. He made her cook and clean and also would degrade her any chance he got. His mistress was just as cruel if not worse hitting her at every chance she got. But Sally stayed for her boys because she wanted to see them grow and give them love so they would turn out to be decent human beings. When they turned on her like their father she started to plan her escape. One night Jackson came home without his mistress and was drunk. He went to the room he had forced his wife into so his mistress could stay with him. He had loved his wife and was always a sad drunk. He apologised to her and promised to be better. But Sally knew this was just a way to rope her in and then he would tear her down again. She wasn't going to fall for it, after all, she had done so for years. Jackson forced himself onto his wife. She begged him to stop but he wouldn't. He believed he was making love to her and as her duty as a wife, she had to do this.

The next morning Sally could barely move. She was sore and hated herself. She wished she was stronger to push him off. Jackson woke to see the damage he had done to his wife and regretted it immediately. He tried to make it up to her by being better. He helped to bath her and care for her. He brought her food to her room and kicked his mistress out of the house. He did the chores and helped the housekeeper while Sally healed. He was loving and caring like he used to be when they first got married. He still kept his sons away because he was ashamed of what he had done and didn't want them to see the damage he had done. He stopped drinking as well, he lost control when he was drinking and always lashed out at his wife.

Sally knew she needed to heal so she could leave. Jackson raping her had been the last straw. Once she was fully healed she would leave and not look back. She would miss her sons but they had made their choice and it was time she made hers. She wanted to be happy and she wasn't happy here. When Jackson went back to work four weeks after he assaulted his wife she made her plan. She wrote the boys letters explaining why she had to leave. She told them she wouldn't allow any of them to harm her anymore and it was time for her to be happy. She wished them well in their life and told them she loved them but had failed them and blamed herself for them turning out the way they had. She did not tell them she was pregnant though.

She had all the symptoms of pregnancy and knew that Jackson had got her pregnant again. This time though she knew that the baby would be brought up differently. The baby would not be in a home like this. She assumed she would have a boy just like the last four pregnancies and she was going to get him out before he had to witness what her other sons did. She blamed herself for how they turned out. If she had only been stronger when they were young and left sooner maybe she could have saved them. She was determined to save this baby though.

Sally left everything behind just taking some clothes. She didn't want to be traced. Her one friend, who was the housekeeper of the home, helped her escape. She put her in touch with a woman refuge and then early one morning while everyone slept, Sally crept out of the house sneaking into her son's room first, kissing them on the head and leaving each of them a note. She knew this would be the last time she ever saw her four eldest boys. She didn't bother leaving a note for Jackson, after everything he had done to her, she had nothing left to say to him. She and her baby were going to be safe and that's all that mattered to her.