Chapter 4 - THE BRUISE BENEATH THE DIAMOND
I told Elena about Graham.
Not everything.
Just enough.
The first time he grabbed my wrist.
The way he monitored my phone.
The threats about Noah's medical bills.
The humiliating jokes at public events.
The apologies afterward.
The flowers.
The promises.
Elena listened without interrupting.
Then she asked:
“Do you feel safe going home?”
I hesitated.
“No.”
The word frightened me.
Because saying it aloud made it real.
Elena nodded.
“Thank you for telling me.”
She explained my options.
Medical documentation.
A safety plan.
Legal assistance.
Domestic violence support services.
Emergency shelter if I needed it.
I stared at her.
“You're not going to tell me what to do?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because someone else has been making your decisions for too long.”
I began to cry.
Quietly at first.
Then harder.
Elena handed me tissues.
I wiped my face.
“I don't want to ruin his life.”
She looked at me.
“Protecting yourself isn't ruining someone else's life.”
I stared at the floor.
“What if nobody believes me?”
Elena leaned forward.
“Then we work with people who understand how to document what happened.”
I nodded.
For the first time in months, I felt something unfamiliar.
Not safety.
May you like
Not yet.
But the possibility of it.
