Broken

09

I sat in the couch reading when I heard a knock on the door.

"Coming."

I walked to the door and opened it. It was a lady.

"How many I help you?" I asked in a polite voice.
The lady walked past me and entered the house.

"Where's Ron?" She asked me. I didn't know who this lady was but she was very rude.
I was about to answer when Elron walked out of the bedroom.

"Zoey,what do you want?" He asked,clearly agitated.
Zoey smiled coquettishly and said "Oh Ron,don't you remember me?"
Elron sneered a bit and said "As you can see Zoey,I'm happily married and I won't appreciate it if you try to be a betweener."

I just stood there looking at the two of them. Because firstly,I was confused as to what relationship this lady had with him and secondly,I didn't know why there was this intensive jealousy growing in me.

"....you!" I heard before I was snapped back to reality. It was Zoey speaking.
"Stay away from him. He's mine. Okay,mine!" She said before walking out. I didn't really care what she or Elron did.

"I need to talk to you." I told Elron that evening. He was working in his laptop when I said that and he instantly stopped.
"What's up?" He asked me with concern. He patted the space beside him indicating that I should sit beside him.

"I..I..I haven't seen my period in 3 months. Am I dying?"

"What?"

"Well...I don't know much about things like that. I haven't seen it in 3 months and I'm scared."

Elron looked at me for a while before walking out. He walked in with a pregnancy test kit and said "Let's test..just to be sure."

I took it and walked to the bathroom.

ELRON'S POV.

I stood by the bathroom door and heard noises from the inside. "Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah." She answered.
I was scared. Not for her. But for myself. What if it came out positive? How will she take it.

After about thirty minutes,she came out of the bathroom and handed me the kit.

"Well.." I asked her.

She shrugged and said "I don't know how to use the kit."

"Come on." I said and took her to the washroom.
I showed her how use it afterwhich I left her inside to use it.

"What if it's a plus?" She asked.

"Then you're pregnant." I answered nonchalantly.

I saw her eyes widen. I didn't know why it amused me but it did.
She gave me the kit and looked at her feet.
I looked at it and my eyes widened in shock.
I looked at her petite figure for a while before pulling her into a hug.

I felt tears pool in my eyes.

"I can't breathe." I heard her say although her voice was muffled.
"Sorry." I said before releasing her. I couldn't believe that I am going to be a father. Claire looked at me with a blank expression and that forced me to ask her "You're not happy?" She looked at me with her doe eyes and said "I am but.." and paused abruptly.

"But what?"

"I don't want it!" She said with a breaking voice.
"What?!" I asked her.
She looked at me with teary eyes before saying "You raped me! You raped me although I begged you to stop!"
I felt guilt and pain brewing in my heart.
"I'm sorry." I said.

"You're sorry? Let me ask you this. If Joey hadn't told you I was being abused, would you still treat me how you were treating me?"

I looked at her before looking away.
"You would. You would!" She cried out. She walked past me and walked to the bedroom.
I followed her and saw her packing her suitcase.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

I walked to her and hugged her while whispering "Sorry" and "I'm sorry." It was only after a while that she calmed down. "Please tell me everything." I begged her.

She drew in a breath and sat down. She closed her eyes and kept quiet for a while.

"My mom and I suffered severe beatings everyday of our lives. I don't even know if my mom is alive or not." She said and I could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Can I see them. The scars if there's any." I asked her.

She nodded and stood up. She took off her shirt and stood in front of me. I could see faint cut marks,bite marks as well burn marks.
"Did..did you ever try to kill yourself?" I asked her. She nodded and I hugged her. I couldn't believe she had gone through all that and I just added more to it.

"Yes. Multiple times and whenever I did,he would cut my skin."

"Did you ever try to report?"

"Every time I try to tell you,you shut me up."

I felt extremely bad for her and I felt like a bad person.

"I'm so sorry, Claire."