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“How do you live like this?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can’t your parents help you?”
“They’re dead.”
“Don’t you have any brothers or sisters who could help you?”
“They’re dead too.”
“Grandparents?”
“Dead.” Abby started to giggle. She covered her face with her hands, but she couldn’t stop. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m horrible. It’s really not funny. At all! I don’t know why I’m laughing.”
“Are you kidding?”
“No! I’m sorry. It’s not funny. None of this is funny at all.”
“You’re that alone?” asked Charlie.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Never mind. You probably think I’m crazy. For laughing about something like that.”
“Are you kidding about it?” he asked.
“No. I guess I’ve spent so much time with it all inside my head that when I talk about it out loud, it kind of seems funny to me. But, no, I realize my life is sad. I’m aware of that.”
“So you have no family at all?”
She shook her head.
“Friends?”
“Just you.”
“Have you ever told him you want to leave him?”
“Yes. He’s made it clear that’s not an option.”
“Clear how?”
Abby shook her head. “I’m telling you, he’s not going to let me go.”
“What if you left him?”
“He’d find me. He’s rich, but I have no money of my own. And he has tons of connections and important people on his side. I don’t.”
“What if you withdrew a big chunk of money and took off?”
“God. I don’t know. Some days he checks our account twenty times. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has something set up to warn him if something like that ever happens. Also, I’ve got a passport, but it’s locked up at his office.”
“It sounds like he’s really got you where he wants you.”
“I guess.” Abby sighed. “But let’s think about us for now, instead, okay?”
