“Are you sure you
won’t change your mind? If you tell the judge you were young and confused —”
“I wasn’t young and confused. I saw a monster for who he is and acted on it. Now, leave my office and never return again.” My throat hurts from the force of my words. “You should be ashamed for defending a man like him. Those women could’ve been your daughter, your wife, your sister.”
Stephan’s expression doesn’t change as he reaches into his jacket and retrieves an envelope and a business card. When I don’t take them, he places them on the table. “Call me if you change your mind.”
As soon as he leaves, I drop onto the sofa, my hands and legs trembling, sweat running down my back and temples.
My heart aches and I feel like I’m about to combust.
I pull my knees to my chest as memories start trickling back in. The attacks. The slurs.
The assault.
No. Please no.
The envelope stares at me. I know who it’s from. I contemplate burning it, throwing it away, but the need to solve the puzzle strikes me again.
And this time, I can’t ignore it.
I open it with unsteady fingers. Plain white paper with his messy handwriting taunts me.
Remember Muse,
Next time we see each other, either I kill you or you kill me.
20
Aurora
I leave work early.
But I don’t go to Jonathan’s house.
In fact, for a second, I contemplate driving my car to someplace else.
I could go to Wales. Or Scotland.
If that’s still too close, I can go to another country. Pick a place on the map and fly over there.
I can start anew. If I’ve already had one rebirth, I can have another, right?
Only, I can’t leave H&H and Layla and everyone else behind.
I can’t abandon the dream I started with my own hands. I can’t keep running for the rest of my life.
When I walked out of the court hearing that day, I promised he’d never be the master of my life again.
He won’t control my every breath as if he has a right to. As if he owns my life just because he gave it to me.
Every time someone looks at me, I breathe wrong. I watch my surroundings as if expecting the eggs, the slurs, the assault.
“The devil’s spawn.”
“Her father’s daughter.”
“Murderer! Murderer! MURDERER!”