Somebody That I Used To Know

Not A Bad Person

"Alright, Mr. Hiddleston, can you please explain what he did?" Officer Avers asks.

"Um... w-well we... had a deal, that's what it was. Molly already told you everything."

"I know, sir, but I need to hear it from you. If it's too difficult, we can call in a therapist to talk to you and get the information from them."

"No, no, there's no reason for me to be bothered. We had an agreement to protect Molly and Lillian, that's all it was."

"Well, it was illegal. Can please you tell me what happened?"

"It's okay, honey." Molly smiles. "I'm right here."

"There's no reason to baby me like this. Last time was much different. Now, it was a mutual agreement."

"And you were threatened by the harm of your wife and daughter?"

"No, no, not threatened. He didn't threaten me but... but it was just for security reasons. As long as I held up my part, I didn't have to worry."

"And was any of this under the influence?"

"Y-yes. I... I took sedatives and drank alcohol."

"And was Mr. West involved in this?"

"N-no, it was my choice."

"Thomas." Molly snaps. "Officer, that's not true. He gave him a large amount of sedatives, causing him to come home very ill everytime. He also made him drink alcohol, my husband's an alcoholic, while being under the influence."

"Mr. Hiddleston, why did you lie? We're here to help you, you're safe now."

"I have nothing to be protected from. It doesn't matter, he won't do anything."

"Don't you want him back in prison for what he did to you?"

"N... no." Tom says. "No, I... I don't. I'd like to know that my wife and daughter are safe and that I don't have to worry about being harmed, but no. I don't believe that he'll do this to anyone else. It's been made very clear that I'm the one he desires. I won't let anything happen to my Molly."

"Tom, by not giving us the full details, you're putting her in danger. We need to get him in custody but we can't do that until you help us out."

"Wait, no, don't... don't do that. He's not a bad person, really, but-"

Molly looks at Tom in horror. "Excuse me?"

"He's mentally ill, that's what it is. You put him in jail the first time because his acts were vicious and I understand that. I don't blame you for arresting him, but they weren't this time. I agreed to it this time, it's not assault."

"You agreed to it because your wife and daughter were being threatened. That's illegal. You were also being given drugs and alcohol by Mr. West. All of those factors make any sort of consent you gave, not reliable. This is considered assault."

"But... no, no, because I... I took the pills myself. He didn't force feed them to me, I took them. That can't be planted on him."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Molly yells.

"Please, Mrs. Hiddleston," Officer Avers says.

"No, no, this is bullshit. Are you serious right now? This is evidence enough that he's fucked up my husband's brain. Arrest him right now."

"We will, we just need his statement first."

"No, he didn't mess up my brain, Molly, but he's truly not that bad. He's changed since the first time. Then he was cruel but he's kind now and would make sure that I was fine and-"

"Are you fucking hearing this?"

"Mr. Hiddleston, you recognize that this was a ploy, right? I doubt that he cared, it was to make you think that he did. This isn't real."

"Of course it's real. I... I can't put a... a person away who's mentally ill. Send him to a hospital but not jail."

"Please, listen to us. He can't plead insanity, he knew what he was doing. This was manipulation and power, that's it."

"No, you have it all wrong." Tom stampers. "He... he cared this time. I... I feel so... so guilty. You can't put him away."

Molly looks at Tom in horror.

"Mr. Hiddleston, you have nothing to feel guilty about. He hurt you, badly, on multiple occasions. You remember the first time, don't you?"

"Well yes but that was with everyone else. He did it for the power and... and the violence of it all but... but it's not like that anymore. I hate that you say it is."

"He was holding blackmail over you, wasn't he?"

"Blackmail? No, no, I... I don't have anything that would be blackmail."

"The first time around, the court countiscated any pictures that Mr. West had taken. There are back ups of those pictures but we weren't able to find them. That's what he had over you as well, wasn't it?"

"P-pictures? That's... that's silly, of course not."

"We had to go through them for court and a lot were privately shown to the jury due to the trial being recorded."

"Well, no, no, you... you have to get rid of them."

"I have everything I did." Officer Avers says. "Have a good day, Mr. And Mrs. Hiddleston, I'll keep you updated"

"Where are you going?" he urgently asks.

"To get an arrest warrant for Matthew West."

"Wait!"

Molly grabs Tom's arm as they walk out of the house. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're chosing that lunatic over us."

"No, Molly, that's ridiculous."

"Then just let him go."