“How do you know?” I sniffle.
“Haven’t you ever heard that crazy people don’t know they are crazy?” he asks. “I won’t lie to you and say you do not have delusions, because you do, but it’s not something I can just give you the answers to. I have to let you see it on your own, or you won’t let yourself believe it.”
“Oh… Is Greg not real?” I ask.
“If only,” he snorts. “So, tell me about this test. What did you think?”
“Well, you wrote it. I can’t tell you what I think,” I say, and he chuckles. “I don’t know. I guess I just never have given that stuff much thought. I know what The Society does, but Greg never let me be part of anything.”
“Do you want to be part of it?”
“I wanted the submissive school, but they wouldn’t let Molly go. She isn’t even allowed to do the marriage pact thing,” I explain.
“What specifically did he say?”
“He told her that all women should do it, but Molly wasn’t allowed to. He said she had to wait until he found someone for her,” I say. “So I took that as him wanting me to. I try not to piss him off.”
“Why is that?”
“Because he takes his anger out on Molly. He strangled her one night when I yelled at him earlier that day while he was raping her. It’s hard to listen to,” I say. “It gets so quiet that all I can hear is him and the sounds his body makes slamming into hers. It’s gross.”
“Does Molly tell you how she feels about it?”
“She used to. We would talk for a while after, but she just goes to sleep now,” I say.
“What does she do during the day?”
“Just stays home. She doesn’t really get out of bed,” I tell him.
“Hmm,” he says. “Back to the rest… so he doesn’t actually know you took the test?”
“No. I’m going to talk to him about it tonight. I think I might have misunderstood. I didn’t realize I’d be married off immediately,” I say.
“May I offer a suggestion?”
“Always,” I say as he presses the new bandage over my cut.
“Don’t say anything. Just let it be a surprise,” he says. “He’s complained before that you never took the initiative to do things without being asked, so give him that at least.”
“What if he gets mad?” I ask. “He could hurt Molly even more.”
“I think Molly will fare all right,” he says. “She is stronger than she knows.”
“You said you did BDSM therapy? What is that?” I ask.
“Depends. Sometimes it’s to aid in meditation. Sometimes it’s intense impact play to replace severe self-harm.”
“Like what I do?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“Why haven’t you suggested that?” I ask. “Is it effective?”
“I am bound by the rules The Society sets,” he says. “Greg won’t approve of it.”
“Would it help?” I ask.
“I do think it would help you,” he says simply.
