Hugging her knees, Tanya stifled another sob. Her face felt swollen and sore, yet numb from the pain. Sitting in the pitch black, the only light coming from the oven which was still humming beside her. The lasagna she had been making for tea splashed across the floor and up the walls.
She could hear Tim banging upstairs, the slamming of cabinets in the bathroom as he got changed. He couldn't go to the pub with blood on his shirt, could he?
Tanya knew she would have to clear up the mess at some point, but for now she was frozen to the spot.
Listening for the door to close behind him as he left, without so much as a 'Goodbye', she slowly got to her feet. Reaching for the dustpan and brush from under the sink, she stared at the mess. She had spent ages preparing his favourite dinner for when he got back from the football, how was she to have known he had just eaten a burger? Usually he came back ravenous and rushing. Today had been different.
As she cleared up the mess, somrthing inside her clicked. Wiping up the last of the mess, she checked that the kitchen was spotlessly tidy, before grabbing her handbag and leaving. For good.