Chapter 21: Don’t Go Back To That Monster
Violet rubbed Jen’s back and let her rest her head on her shoulder. She didn’t say anything, she simply let Jen cry.
When Jen stopped, she handed her a tissue and asked her to wipe her tears. Jen accepted it, her hand shaking as she cleaned her face.
Then she took the bottle of water and took a long sip. She held the bottle in her hand and stared at her feet as Violet made to leave.
"Are you not going to ask me any questions?" Jen asked.
Violet stopped and spun around. "It’s not my place to ask." She believed everyone had their own backstory. While some were all roses, others were terrible and bitter, something inherently shameful.
She didn’t want to force Jen to say anything, because she would have stood up for anyone, regardless of who they were.
"But I want to talk." Jen said, feeling a fresh tear slide down her cheek. It washed through her mascara, leaving a black line down her face.
Violet told herself she wasn’t interested in knowing, that she should walk away. She had vowed never to be used again by anyone, that she wouldn’t help anyone or allow herself to be used, but her legs felt rooted to the ground and her lips grew too heavy to speak.
So she simply took a seat on the couch across from Jen.
"Dave and I have been married for two years. I met him when I was 16, and we were friends for two years before he asked me out. One year later, he proposed, and I accepted. At first, I thought he was the best gift life had given me. Our first year together was good, he wasn’t your typical romantic man, he didn’t buy me gifts or take me out on dates. But those things didn’t matter, not to me, because I thought having him was enough. I supported him with the little I had and helped in his parents’ shop whenever I could."
"They were never supportive of our relationship, but pretended to be, because they didn’t want to hurt their only son. They treated me roughly, but I took it all, I didn’t say a word to Dave, because I didn’t want to drive a wedge between them." She paused and let out a low, humourless laugh. "How stupid I was." she whispered.
Then she continued, "Dave lost his job one year after our marriage, and the man I knew changed. He couldn’t get a new job, and would take money from me to gamble and drink. At first I gave him what I earned, because I didn’t want him to feel useless, because I loved him. But when I realised I was only enabling his new habit, I had to stop." Her eyes blurred and she paused to take a few sips of her water.
"The first day I refused to give him money, he gave me the beating of my life, and for the next two years I became his punching bag and his wallet. All my money went to him. He brought women home, to our marital bed. His parents knew everything but said nothing about it, they supported their son."
Jen felt a huge weight press against her chest, and she swallowed, pushing down a lump that had formed in the back of her throat. Violet felt her heart shatter into a million pieces, but her face remained expressionless.
"No one has ever stood up for me, not friends or family, and as an orphan, I had no one to turn to. You’re the first person to stand up for me, and for that I’m grateful." She pressed her hands together, her lips trembling as she smiled through her pain.
"Thank you."
"You’ve been through a lot. You’re a strong woman, Jen." Violet said. She wanted to tell her that she understood her pain completely, but didn’t. She didn’t know what to do to comfort her. But one thing was certain, Jen couldn’t go back to that monster.
"He’ll probably be at home waiting for me. I don’t want to go back to him, I’ve had enough. I want out of this marriage and out of his life, but all my money is with him. I won’t have a roof over my head if I leave him." She had tried to run before, but he’d found her and given her a beating that had landed her in the hospital for days.
She feared that if she did go back, he would harm her. He might even kill her.
"You don’t have to go back to him. You can stay here." she said, trying to make it sound like she didn’t care. "He can’t find you here." she added.
Jen was stunned to hear Violet’s words. She appreciated the offer, but didn’t want to burden Violet. "Thank you, but I don’t want to be a burden."
"It’s not a burden, after all, you work for me. It’ll be easier for you to do your job this way. Plus, there are some extra rooms. If you think I’m being too generous, then I’ll charge you 50 dollars for every night you spend here." she said.
Jen dropped to her knees. "Thank you." she said. "I can’t fully express how grateful I am." she said.
Violet nodded and stood. "You can choose any of the rooms over there. Take a shower and relax, I’ll ask the butler to get you something to eat and some first aid." Violet said, taking one last look at Jen before leaving.
After she left, Violet went to her room. She took off her wig and washed the makeup from her face. She couldn’t help but keep thinking about Jen. She called the butler and instructed him to bring dinner and a first aid box.
Her mind remained unsettled, her heart heavy. She saw her past self in Jen’s eyes.
Before she settled into bed for the night, she checked on Jen to find her sleeping soundly.
Violet crossed her legs as she sat on her bed. She reached into her space and pulled out her phone. When she turned it on, she found several missed calls from an unknown number, and from Dylan.
Dylan had also messaged her, asking her to hand his phone back to him.
At that moment, her phone began ringing. The same unknown number was calling.
She picked up the call and pressed the phone to her ear. "Miss Violet, you finally picked up." she heard an unfamiliar voice say.
From the way the person on the other end spoke, Violet reasoned they might be familiar with her.
"Who is this?"
"I’m Mr. Sterling, Mr. Sullivan’s assistant. He asked me to—"
Beep!
Violet ended the call immediately and blocked the number. She wasn’t ready to face her father, not yet.
She had more important things to do. She was aware he wouldn’t give up. He may have been rich, but he had always been greedy and particularly stingy towards her.
She scrolled through the internet and read more articles online.
She was about to sleep when Leo called her.
"I’m sorry to call this late, Miss Kierra."
Violet adjusted herself on the bed. "It’s fine. I heard your grandmother was rushed to the hospital after she collapsed, is she alright?"
"She’ll be fine." Leo replied.
He hadn’t called to discuss her health with Violet. So he went straight to the point. "Can we meet tomorrow? Like I said, I’m very much interested in signing with Jill and Jones."
Violet’s eyes brightened, and she smiled. "That’s a very wise decision, Mr. Kings."
"I know. But first, I want to see the location for the project." he said.
This caused Violet to furrow her brows, and she sat up straight. "You want to see the land?"
"Yes." was Leo’s reply.
Violet shut her eyes tight and massaged her temples. This wasn’t supposed to be part of the plan. "What time should we meet tomorrow?"
It was impossible to meet tomorrow. Aside from the fact that she was going to buy supplies, she had never even been to the location for the project.
"I have a busy schedule tomorrow. Let’s schedule the meeting for two days from now." she said.
"Alright."
After Leo ended the call, Violet pressed both palms to her face.
"What do I do? I don’t even know the location for the project."