But that would be a small price to pay.
The wedding was a small affair in a room at the back of our favourite pub. There was no honeymoon as Sean couldn't get any time off work. We rented a small house in one of the outer suburbs and were a happily married couple waiting for their first baby to arrive.
The time arrived and I went into labour. It was a long but natural birth. Eventually after much coaxing and cursing by me, Zac made his grand entry to the world. It was a joyous moment and Sean went off to celebrate with his two mates Johnno and Paul.
The ensuing months were difficult. I found breast feeding difficult and Zac always seemed to be hungry. He cried a lot and Sean and I would have given anything for a good night's sleep. But like most young families we managed to get through it.
The next few years seemed to fly past quite quickly. Zac became ill and we had to have his tonsils removed. He was growing quickly and was a cute little miniature of his Dad. He went to Kindy and finally we felt our freedom return when he started proper school at the age of six.
It was about that time there was a downturn in the economy and Sean's overtime was reduced. This hurt us financially as a family. As things declined Sean was asked to take all the holidays due to him. Then he was reduced to a four day week, then a three day week and finally he was retrenched.
During this time the strain on Sean became evident. He spent more time with his two friends. They drank together for hours each day. Sean was coming home late at night, drunk and out of his mind. He was losing it. He was becoming irrational. He was getting into fights and coming home with blood all over him. I was fearful he might become violent towards Zac and me. Our savings ran out and we relied on social security payments to live. We seemed to be in a never ending downward spiral and landlord was constantly reminding us that our rent was getting further and further behind. It was becoming obvious that it was only a matter of time before he evicted us.
One day I came home from picking up Zac from school to find the three of them sitting in the lounge smoking Ice (crystal methamphetamine). I was furious that he could waste our meagre income on drugs while Zac and I were going without. I found out later this had been going on for months without my knowledge.
All three of them, Sean, Johnno and Paul stormed out of the house in a rage and disappeared, presumable to the local pub where they had almost become permanent fixtures in recent months.
I gave Zac his dinner and put him to bed. He wanted to know why I was crying. But I was beside myself. I sat down and was watched TV. At about 10:00pm Sean and his two friends burst in through the front door. I sprang to my feet and confronted them. They were covered in blood and I assumed they had all been in a fight.
Sean's face was red with rage. He was out of his mind.
"Get out of my way you fuckin' slut cunt." He yelled as he approached me.
I didn't see the punch that broke my cheekbone and nose. I just remember lying on my back on the floor looking up at the ceiling with the three of them standing above me, shouting and waving their arms.
Sean stood over me with his feet on either side of my chest. He dropped his pants and pulled out his cock. He dropped to his knees pinning my arms to the floor and forced his cock into my mouth. It wasn't erect but it filled my mouth all the same. In an attempt to push it in deeper he leant forwards, his huge belly smothering my broken face and making it difficult for me to breath The pain was unbearable. I don't know how long he lay on my face. I think I was in shock, my whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Everything seemed so surreal. Then he sat up. He seemed almost oblivious to the fact that I was underneath him. He arrogantly took a swig from his can of beer. His hips moved rhythmically back and forth as he pleasured himself in me. Then without warning he vomited, covering my head and face in his vomit.