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“He abused me again, of course. This time, it was a slap across the face and a push down the stairs because I gave him the wrong time for a movie or something. I don’t even remember, how sad is that?” I sniffled.
“Mia,” Terry said my name, but I barely registered it.
“When he pushed me down the stairs, I broke my ankle. Ally told her then boyfriend, Danny. He ended up helping Ally take me to the hospital. Danny tracked Chad down and beat the crap out of him.”
“Uh-oh, I’m sure he didn’t take kindly to that.” Terry gave my knee a squeeze.
I cringed inwardly, thinking of what I would have to tell him next.
“He didn’t. Although the next time I saw him was certainly the last.” I shrugged as if that was going to make what I would tell him next all right. It wasn’t and I knew that now. It still made my blood run cold and my body shake when I had to tell the tale.
“Chad was waiting for me after I got out of work. He asked me to take a ride with him. I should have said no, but I doubt it would have done any good. He had been drinking, and I could smell the liquor on his breath. He looked awful. Chad’s eyes were black and blue, and he had cuts on his cheek and face. I could see when his hands clenched the wheel that his knuckles were bloody. He must have fought back, or at least tried to.
“He took me to this clearing outside of the city. I was sure that it was where I was going to die. He said the most awful things to me as he drove. Told me that I was worthless and that no one would miss me. After all, I was a girl with no family and barely any friends. He took a tire iron to both of my knees and broke the kneecaps. I was in so much pain that, had he not hit me in the head with it, I would have passed out anyway.”
I paused to wipe more tears away. I was openly crying, and I wasn’t trying to hide it from him.
“How did they find you?”
“A fisherman in the area happened upon us. Thankfully, he was smart enough to remain hidden. He called the police and sent them straight to us. Chad had managed to get away, though. I’m told he raped me with that same tire iron. I could definitely feel it when I woke up in the hospital. He also burned my breasts with cigarettes.” I swallowed loudly, admitting the last part sheepishly. “I still have the scars from that.”
Terry pulled me to him and hugged me tightly. “Oh, I am so sorry. I had no idea.”
I shrugged. “It can happen to anyone.”
Terry nodded. “What made him leave you alone?”
“Ally’s boyfriend at the time. He was a bodybuilder and he had some rather large friends. They managed to find him and threaten him. I didn’t know what they said to him or what happened. I never wanted to know, but apparently they ruined his chance at a career in LA and Chad left town.
“I spent a lot of time in the hospital and in rehabs to repair my broken kneecaps with screws and pins. It was the most painful thing that I ever recovered from. I lost my job in the process of all that recovering. The bitch that I was working for wouldn’t hold it for me, but the blessing that came out of it was Shoegasm.”
“You never reported it, did you?”
“Nope, I didn’t. But Danny and his buddies helped me. They taught me kickboxing and self-defense so I could protect myself. It also helped with my rehab and helped me feel safe again in my own skin.”
“When did the charity work start?”
“That was when I sought counseling for what had happened to me. I went to the Inlet for Hope and there was a remarkable counselor there that helped me get through it. When I was there, I paid attention to the things that were happening around me. The way they took in women, allowed them to live there. I paid attention to the fliers and requests for donations and volunteers. Every Christmas, I would put together gift baskets for the women who were living there. When I had enough of an income, my donations became more monetary. That place helped me when I wanted to die, so I had to make sure that it survived.
“The executive director, Sarah—who I deal with for the donations and gift baskets—doesn’t realize I used to be a client there. That part is confidential. Thankfully.”
Terry nodded in understanding.
“That’s why I do what I do. And that’s a story I don’t want anyone else to know.” I swallowed the lump that had been present in my throat since the story started.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I barely heard the office door open. I didn’t register the footsteps that had joined Terry and I behind the desk. Or the body that had sunk down onto the floor. Opening my eyes, I looked over and saw Catherine sitting on the floor beside us.
“What are we doing down here, guys?” she asked when my eyes met hers. Offering a comforting smile and a squeeze of my hand, she waited for me to speak.
“Mia told me what happened to her,” Terry told her. His hand reached out and squeezed my thigh. “Someone hurt her.” Terry’s voice broke a little when he said someone had hurt me.
“Yes, I know,” Catherine replied calmly.
“She told you?” Terry asked. My eyes snapped to Terry, trying to figure out if he was angry that Catherine already knew. He wasn’t. His eyes were calm.
“Yeah, she did.”
“Did she tell you that she won’t go to the police? That he’s done this before?” His voice shook a bit when he spoke.
