[Reviews - 18]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1793 times

- Text Size +




A few days later, Elizabeth found herself in the lower-class area of New York. Angel really didn’t think too highly of her going out alone, especially to places that he believed were beneath him. When he’d first found out about her going down there, he naturally threw a fit, ranting and raving about the possibility of being seen by a reporter and ruining his reputation. Eventually, Angel figured that he could turn Elizabeth’s visits to hood into some great publicity. Once the right people got a hold of the news that their golden boy was doing another good deed to society, Elizabeth’s every once in a while escapes became mandatory monthly visits. Somehow, he’d managed to make everyone believe that they were giving back to the community, trying to show how humble they both were. He even allowed her to still take a cab to the diner, saying that it would make the whole thing more believable. He sent her with a check and order her to give it to the owner of the diner that she always frequented. It was Angel’s way of securing his reputation if a reporter ever came to interview anyone at the diner. The owner, George, didn’t seem to care or notice that Angel had never set one foot in his establishment. As long as he got his weekly allowance, he would say and do anything Angel wanted.

Elizabeth hated Angel for taking something that was supposed to be hers and making it all about him but there was little she could do about it. The visits to the diner weren’t all bad though. It was there that Elizabeth got to unload the hell that was her life to the only person who cared for her.

“Hey, Liz,” Fred greeted. She was finishing up with a customer when Elizabeth walked in. “My break’s in five minutes. You want anything while you wait?”

“Just the usual,” Elizabeth smiled thinly.

Elizabeth had met Winifred Berkle on a rainy night eight months ago. It had been after a heated argument with Angel. She’d snuck out shortly after he’d left for the office. Elizabeth hadn’t really been aware of where she was going but had somehow ended up in front of a small but cozy little diner called Uncle George’s.

Eight Months prior...

“What can I get ya, sweetie?” the lady asked with a smile. It took her a moment to notice that her new customer had a busted lip and rapidly swelling cheek. Fred couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of her. “Oh, my God! Are you okay?’’

“I’m fine. May I please have a glass of ice water?” Elizabeth asked politely, trying to ignore the waitress’ look of horror and concern at her appearance.

“You’re not fine; you’re bleeding!” Fred reached out to touch her shoulder and Elizabeth flinched away in fear and a little annoyance.

“I’m fine! Please, just get me a glass of ice water,” she pleaded. People were beginning to stare in their direction and Elizabeth didn’t want that.

“Do you want me to call someone?” Fred offered, not caring that she had other customers to wait on.

“I don’t have anyone to call,” Elizabeth answered. She couldn’t hold back the small sob when she thought about just how little Angel would care if someone where to call and tell him of her situation, a situation that he was responsible for.

“I could call the police,” Fred offered, which brought Elizabeth out of her thoughts. She looked up at the brunette with wide eyes and shook her head.

“No! No cops!” she exclaimed. Elizabeth knew what little help the men offered and she didn’t want to deal with them. It’d only make things worse when she got home to Angel.
Fred noticed that the blonde looked as if she would bolt from her seat if she pushed even a little bit more on the matter.

“Okay, no cops. Got it,” Fred didn’t know what else to do but she knew she couldn’t let this woman leave without making sure that she got some type of assistance.

“I should go,” Elizabeth got up from the table. *It was a mistake coming here. Should’ve just passed out in the bedroom or something.* Before Elizabeth could even step a foot in the direction of the door, Fred blocked her path.

“No! Ummm... how ‘bout you come into the back with me and clean up a bit, yeah?” Fred didn’t know why but she was drawn to the small blonde; she felt as if she was meant to help her. Elizabeth wasn’t so sure that was a good idea.

“I shouldn’t-"

“Oh nonsense,” Fred cut in. “If you’re not going to let me call the police, at least let me clean you up a bit,” she reasoned.

Elizabeth really didn’t see any harm in letting the waitress help her, especially if she really wanted to. Besides, the side of her face was on fire and she felt like she’d die if she didn’t get any ice to it soon.

“A-alright,’’ she hesitantly agreed. Fred gave her a comforting smile and led her in towards the back of the diner.

“I’m Winifred Berkle but everyone calls me Fred.”

“I’m Bu-Elizabeth.”

***

It took a few more swollen cheeks and busted lips for Elizabeth to finally admit to Fred that Angel was the one responsible for her bruises. That conversation hadn’t gone over well at all.

***

“I just don’t understand why you won’t go to the police about this.” Fred wondered aloud after cleaning one of cleaning one of Elizabeth’s injuries one night after the shop had closed.

“Believe me, Fred, it wouldn’t help. I’d probably make things worse,” she rasped.

“For yourself?” When Elizabeth nodded, Fred shook her head in confusion. “How?”

“Fred, you know I can’t tell you that.”

“Look, Liz, I know I don’t know you very well but I like you. You seem like a very good person, a person who doesn’t deserve to be treated like some asshole’s punching bag.” Fred took a deep breath to calm her nerves and to prepare herself for the question she was about to ask. “Is it drugs?”
She was ever so surprised when Elizabeth laughed humorlessly and shook her head.

“I wish,” she muttered. “No, it’s not drugs,”

“Then what’s going on? You can tell me. I understand that you don’t want to go to the police but at least give me some explanation as to why you come in here looking the way you do.”

Elizabeth wanted so badly to tell someone about what she was going through, someone who actually cared about her. Maybe then the reality of her life would be easier to deal with.
With a deep breath, Elizabeth looked Fred in the eye and made a decision that would change her life forever. She just hoped it was the good kind of change.

“You promise you won’t tell anyone?” she asked.

“I promise,”

“I’m married....to Liam O’Conner.”

To say that Fred was surprised would have been an understatement. She never would have guessed that Elizabeth was married to Liam O’Conner. She knew that the big shot lawyer was married but the wife was hardly ever seen in the public eye. Even if she was, Fred didn’t pay too much attention. She didn’t like Liam O’Conner or anything he stood for. There was just something about his personality that screamed monster, no matter how angelic he seemed to be.

“The big hotshot lawyer that’s been all over television? That’s your husband?”

“That’s the one,” Elizabeth awaited Fred’s disbelief of how a man such as Liam O’Conner could do such a thing. It never came.

“Oookay...what does he have to do with...?” Fred trailed off when Elizabeth looked at her with haunted eyes and a trembling bottom lip. “He’s the one....he’s doing this to you?”

“Yes,”

“Oh. Oh God,” Fred started gaping like a fish out of water, not really knowing what else to say.

“Fred, you can’t tell anyone!” Elizabeth warned with frightened eyes. Fred narrowed her eyes and looked at her as if she were crazy, as if she had not just promised the exact thing a few moments earlier.

“Why the hell not?”

“You promised, for one thing; and no one would believe you anyway.”

“You can’t possibly think that,” she stated in disbelief. If Liam O’Conner was physically abusing his wife, Fred had to believe that he would be dealt with, no matter how successful he was. Elizabeth didn’t seem to have that same optimism.

“Don’t I? This isn’t just a recent development,” answered Elizabeth. “Angel’s been...it’s been going on for a while. Don’t you think I’ve tried to get help?” she asked miserably.

“Liz-" Fred tried once more to reason with her but to no avail; Elizabeth wasn’t going to budge.

“You said it yourself, Fred; he’s a big hotshot lawyer, everyone’s golden boy. It’d be his word against mine.”

“So you’re just gonna continue to let him do this to you? Until one day he really goes off the deep end and kills you?”

Elizabeth’s silence was all the answer Fred needed.

***

No more had been said on the subject since, at least not from Elizabeth’s end. Fred had made a point to try to convince her to try and leave Angel every time she saw her. It never worked though. Despite Fred’s frustration with Elizabeth about the ongoing abuse, Fred couldn’t abandon her, especially when it was clear that the blonde had no one else to turn to. She had to keep hoping that one day Liz would see reason and leave him.

Fred came over to the booth that Elizabeth was sitting in and sat down a cup of hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin in front of her. Elizabeth smiled gratefully.

“You’re the best, Fred.”

“How’ve you been, Liz? You didn’t come by last month. I was worried about you.”

“Yeah...I...I was kind of under the weather.” Elizabeth was obviously lying and it was rather easy for Fred to see right through it.

“Hurricane Angel hit again?” Fred knew it was a low blow but this thing was getting out of control.

“Fred, please.” Elizabeth begged. She really didn’t have the mental or physical strength to have this conversation. Fred, however, didn’t seem to care.

“This has to stop Liz and you know that I’m right,” she argued. All the fight seemed to leave Elizabeth immediately. She let the tears that were welling up in her eyes finally fall.

“I know. God, I know,” she replied miserably. “I’m so scared, Fred. One of these days, he’s really gonna kill me. I just know it.” Elizabeth’s green eyes were filled with fear and certainty.

“Not if you get away from him, Liz. You just have to get away from him.” Fred was confident that if Elizabeth just got away from him, everything would be okay.

“How am I supposed to do that? I have nothing without him. I have no money or family anywhere. Even if I did, Angel made sure a long time ago that if I did try to leave him, I wouldn’t get far. He’d find me.”

Angel always found her. What would be the point of even trying to leave?

“Not if I help you, he won’t,” Fred returned. Elizabeth looked at her with a mixture of confusion and a little hope. Could the small Texan really get out of this hell?

“I-I don’t understand.”

Fred’s grin unsettled Elizabeth a little but more than anything it made her believe that her life was about to change for the better.

“I think I’ve got a plan.”

****

A/N Things are about to get very interesting!





You must login (register) to review.