Broken

08

"She was being abused." Joey said.

"What?!" I asked. My voice wasn't loud neither was it a whisper. I didn't want to believe it. I thought it was a joke but his face was dead serious.

"Her father began raping her when she was thirteen. And it went on till I told him I'll report. But it didn't stop. He beat her up as well as her mother." He continued.

There was a numb ringing in my ears.

That's why.

That explains why she covered her face   when I just lifted my hand. And that explains the scar behind her left ear.

"And she never reported?" I asked.

He shook his head. "She was warned. She told me everything and made me promise I wouldn't report. She didn't want to die." He said.

I nodded trying to suppress the anger in my heart. I couldn't believe she went through this and I also did these terrible things to her.

"I have to go." I said and left the cafe.

I drove to the house as fast as I could.

"Claire!" I called out.

"Sir?" She answered from inside.

I walked to the bedroom and found her cleaning the room with her bare hands. I felt a pang in my heart and I was touched at the same time.

"Claire..tell me everything." I said.

I saw the fear in her eyes when I said that.

She shook her head vigorously before walking to a corner of the room while muttering "He'll kill me! He'll dump my body in a lake. My mom."

I walked to her but she moved and accidentally knocked the bowl of soap to the floor.
"No..no..no.." she muttered. She started hyperventilating and struggled for air.

"Claire, look at me."  I said while holding her shoulders.

"One..two.." I counted.

"Th..three...fou..ur...fi..five..six....sev..seven..eight..eight..nine..ten" She managed to get to ten and her hit hitched breathing returned to normal.

"He'll kill me!" She cried out. She shivered in my arms and screamed trying to run away.

I shouldn't have asked her to tell me everything.

"Claire,look at me-"

"He'll..he'll..."

"He won't. I'm here."

"Pro.. promise?"

"Yes."

I hugged her and I felt her calm down.

"He beat me up." I heard her whisper.

I looked at her red puffy eyes and I instantly felt guilty.

"Follow me." I said.

I held her hand and helped her to the car.
"We're going to the hospital." I said. She nodded and sat in the car.
To be honest, her silence was scary. Almost Asif she wasn't in the room. She stared out of the window throughout the whole ride.

"It seems like everything is fine but there was a little scarring in her genital area. Maybe from persistent penetration."
The doctor said while reading her file.

I nodded and looked at her. Her green eyes had fear in them. I felt bad for what I did. For what I said and I didn't know how I would apologize.

The doctor gave her some antibiotics and we were off.

"I want you to be honest with me,Claire."

"He said I shouldn't talk or else he'll kill me and dump my body in a lake!"

"But he's not here."

She nodded and looked away. She didn't want to talk and I couldn't force her.
When we got home,I allowed her to sleep for a while I handled some issues.

"I told you not to talk!" He screamed in my face. Was this a dream? Was it real? I couldn't tell. Fear had gripped me to the point that I couldn't move. "Huh?!" He screamed while holding tightly onto my hair.
"Yes! Yes you did." I cried out.
He let out a throaty cackle and vanished like air.

I gasped for air and opened my eyes. My heart pounded in my chest as if it would explode any moment. Elron was sitting right beside me. "You okay?" He asked me. I nodded and drank from the glass he gave to me. My hair was drenched in sweat and my eyes were watery.

"I saw him." I said.

"He's not here." He told me.

I used that as an assurance and mumbled

He's not here Claire.

My heart returned to its normal pace and I rested my head back on the bed.
I could feel him looking at me and it tempted me to talk.

"He beat me and my mom up." I began.
He looked at me with pity in his eyes.

"I was five when I first saw it." I continued.

"My mom told me to hide,I did. After he beat her,he came after me."

"Did you ever try to report?" He asked me in a gentle tone.

I shook my head.

"N-no."

I didn't want to talk again and I told him so. He nodded and left me in the room. I wanted to cry.

You're not my child!

My dad's voice rang in my head whenever I tried to close my eyes. I wanted to bash my head against something.
I screamed and Elron rushed into the room. He looked at me for a while and walked towards me.

"Don't let him near me!" I begged with teary eyes.
"I promise." He said.

                 °°°°
Months had passed since she had that breakdown in front of me. She seemed to be getting better bit by bit. She was smiling more yet she was scared of coming to me when she needed something.

I got home from work and saw her reading in a corner of the hall. I noticed she never sat on the couch or the floor. She was always in that corner.

"Welcome." She said.

"Thanks." I said while smiling a bit. She got up and closed the book.
I wanted to ask her why she's always in that corner but I didn't want to worry her.
She lived in her own world. She never bothered herself with materialistic things like most girls I met did. She never wanted the newest "Gucci" or "Louis Vuitton" bag. She was content with everything she had and I love that about her.

What the hell are you doing to me Claire?