The Traitor ✓ (Book Six)

Chapter Forty

Suddenly, she turns to me- a more somber look on her face. Even this simple talk of marriage, something that might happen far into the future, must have triggered something in her. Her father catches my gaze and shakes his head. For once I have a hard time deciphering his body language.

Maria stands up, grunting.

"We need to talk about something." She says.

"Oh....okay." She's not one to suddenly announce that, so what I'm hearing is:

"I've either got a secret or something tragic happened to me that my dad knows about and I think it's time I tell you too since we both know your darkest secrets."

Except that last part isn't true. It isn't even close to the truth. As much as I wish I could say it was, that would be another lie. Because there are things I did that never came up in court and that nobody ever thought to snitch on me for....... I did get away with a lot.

She pulls on my hand and drags me past the living room, through a sitting room, and into a guest bedroom. I've never been in here. I don't think I've even seen it from a distance- the door is always closed. It is unfurnished, unlike most of the house, with one exception- there is a patch on the floor from where a round rug used to be. Her round rug.

  This used to be her room.

  She looks uncomfortable here, like she would do anything to make a dash for the door- but also stands like this room is necessary to make her point. I don't get it yet, so I'll listen. Maybe then I'll understand her anxiety, her panic attacks.... And her hatred of men better. Oh god.....

  Oh god no please don't let it be what I'm thinking......

  "Maria...." I clear my throat. "If you aren't comfortable telling me something yet then don't."

  "No-" She shakes her head. "I want to. Sit..... sit down please."

  I listen.

  She plops down in front of me.

  "Hernandez CO. has always been a household name." She starts. "But my grandfather and father really changed the course of the company forever when they converted all of its factories to green energy. They saw the growing need and went for it... decades ahead of everybody else. Some of their... internal experts said they were the biggest reason for the mainstream shift, with our name being on everything from shaving cream to vegan cheezits. When I was five years old, I mean we  really, really started taking off."

  "So... my dad hired a chief of staff for the company. He wasn't the CEO, and he wasn't on the board, but he would deal with my father's duties to the company, hire and fire people when he was too busy- because back then he was also on the board for a nonprofit against animal agriculture. He was around us a lot so it wasn't that suspicious when he would talk to me, and I didn't think anything of it." Oh god. Oh god no-  " He would bring me presents too- which again, wasn't weird since he and my dad were so close. This continued for about two years before he started getting..... creepy. When my father wasn't looking, he'd put his hands on my shoulder and..... it wasn't in a fatherly way. It was a 'get your fucking hands off of me or I will end your life' way. And he wouldn't stop when I pulled away, unless that happened to be the second my dad looked back. When I was ten...."

  No. No no no no no-

"It.... Finally happened. And then it didn't stop for five years. He was.... Too smart to get caught. He would only do it when he knew the house staff were at the opposite end or outside, and when he and my father were working in separate rooms and he knew he wouldn't be checked on. On the day it happened, I'd had enough and started resisting more than usual. He threatened to kill me. I believed him but I didn't care anymore.... So I bashed his face in on the wall. Unfortunately, he was only injured. Hearing the noise, my father rushed downstairs  and when he saw me crawling away from him on the bed, half dressed- he finished the job. His blood was all over my walls before he was done with him. They repainted and now.... Now my dad is more cautious about the assistance he hires."

  Jesus. Jesus Christ that was a lot to process.

  And there's nothing I can say to make it better. Nothing I can do to help her anxiety except be there for her when a breakdown happens. She looks close to one now, actually. Having relieved that whole thing must be difficult for her.

  "Damon..... don't do that."

  "Don't do what?" I ask. The last thing I want is to make her uncomfortable, especially now.

  "Look at me like I'm an injured animal. My dad has done that for over a decade and I'm sick of it. I wanted to tell you this.... But I also want the past to stay in the past. I wasn't always as spoiled as I am now. My father wanted to raise me like a normal person, just in a really big house. He used to make me do chores for my allowance like a normal dad, and then after that happened he stopped..... making me work for anything. I wanted to work for my tuition money but he wouldn't allow it. So if I can ask anything of you, it's that you.... Just don't."

  "Okay." I reply, because I don't know what else to say. And then- "Maybe we can......work through our trauma together."

  Just with the word trauma, images run through my head. She sees this and scoots closer. I brace for another chat.

  "Is there something else you wanna tell me, Damon?"