Chapter 2
I moved Emily into the private sitting room beside the council chamber.
No Ryan.
No Linda.
One female physician from my own household came in quietly.
Emily resisted.
“I’m fine.”
I sat opposite her.
“No.”
She looked at me.
Not angry.
Ashamed.
That frightened me more.
The physician examined her arms, shoulder, and ribs. Nothing appeared broken, but several marks were not from tonight.
Different stages.
Different days.
When the physician left, I asked one question.
“When did he first hurt you?”
Emily looked down at her wedding ring.
“After I got pregnant.”
My jaw tightened.
“Immediately?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“It started after we found out the baby was a boy.”
There.
Not random.
Something changed.
“What happened?”
“Ryan became obsessed with how the families would talk about him.”
“What families?”
“The Hales.”
Of course.
Ryan had spent six years married to my daughter and six years hearing himself described as Salvatore Moretti’s son-in-law.
Apparently fatherhood had given him a new fantasy.
Emily continued.
“He said the baby would finally give him something nobody could call yours.”
I stared.
“A son.”
“Yes.”
“What did you say?”
“That the baby was ours.”
A sad smile.
“He hated that answer.”
Then Linda started visiting more often.
Correcting Emily.
Changing meals.
Criticizing how she dressed.
Telling her pregnancy made her weak.
Ryan started gripping her arms during arguments.
Then shoving.
Then apologizing.
Then Linda came afterward with makeup and shawls.
I looked at Emily.
“She covered the marks.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Emily started crying.
“Because she said if you saw them, you’d blame me for destroying two families.”
There it was.
Not protection.
Training.
May you like
Hurt Emily.
Then make Emily responsible for the consequences of being seen.
