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“Well, it’s my turn. I’m sure I could do better than that though,” Lexi says as I choke out a laugh, covering my mouth. I adore her. She’s the kind of friend every girl needs. Damian raises his hands in defeat, a small smile on his face as he sits on the sofa, and my mom joins him.
“Lex, thank you for being here.” She sits on the bed beside me. “It means so much to me.”
“Shut up. You’re going to make me cry.” She wipes some stray tears away. “I’ll always be here for you.” She lays her head against my chest and wraps an arm around me.
“I should’ve told you everything, but I was scared.”
She kisses my shoulder. “You don’t owe me an explanation. But I’m here now.”
Having them around fills me with so much courage to seek justice. I want him punished for everything he did. For ravaging my body, destroying my worth, gutting my self-esteem, and consuming my soul. I felt powerless, like a butterfly with a broken wing, but with these people by my side, I’m stronger. But more than anything, I just want peace. I just want to be free.
Lexi lets me go and sits next to Damian and my mom. I release a deep, weighted sigh. “I have so much to say. It’s hard.”
“Take your time, honey,” Mom says.
“I want you guys to know I’m not stupid. I didn’t stay with him because I thought he could change or because I loved him. I’ve despised him for years. I stayed because I didn’t see a way out.” I swallow the painful lump in my throat, needing to compose myself before revealing what I’ve been afraid of for so many years.
“I’ve tried to break things off numerous times, but he threatened me, so I chose to suffer thinking it’s better than the alternative.”
Damian angles his body forward, head propped on his clenched fists. “Threatened you how, baby?”
I cling to the hope that they won’t see me any different, that they won’t blame me. “He has pictures and videos of me...he promised to make them public if I left.”
Chapter 22
Lilah
“What sort of pictures, sweetheart?” Mom asks gently.
Just say it. Get it over with.
“Throughout the beginning of our relationship he kept a hidden camera in his bedroom and recorded us... having sex.”
“Motherfucker,” Damian spits out.
Lexi’s mouth twists in disgust. “What a sick bastard!”
My mom just looks at me, covering her mouth.
I swallow a quick breath. “That’s not all. There’s also another video from a college party he recorded where some people were doing drugs. I didn’t participate at all, but I’m sitting among them.” I chew on my lip, finding it difficult to continue. “He—he said if he releases it no one would believe I didn’t use, and I’d never work in the legal field again. I couldn’t allow the videos to get out. I just couldn’t.”
“Oh God,” Mom cries, probably so ashamed of me. But she would’ve found out in court anyway, I’m sure. Better she knows now.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” my voice was weighted down with embarrassment.
“Oh, sweetheart no,” she stands and sits beside me. “This isn’t your fault. He’s a sick man. I’m sorry I didn’t push harder to see you. I should’ve known something was wrong, we always made time for each other in the past. But at the same time, I didn’t want to be overbearing. I thought you had just gotten busy with work and life.” She puts her face on top of my hand, her wet lashes ghosting against my skin, and then she cries, her pain ripping across the room and right into my heart.
Holding her close, I say, “It’s not your fault, Mom. I wouldn’t have listened to you anyway.”
She lifts her head up, sniffling.
“Have you seen them?” Lexi asks.
“Yeah, I’ve seen all the photos and videos on his laptop, so I know he isn’t lying. He also told me it would never get back to him. He has a hacker friend who would ensure of that.”
Damian comes over to the other side of me. “Don’t let him scare you, baby. I have hackers on my payroll, and I promise you that ours are better.” He kisses the top of my hand, his lips warm against my cool skin. “We’ll find and destroy the videos before he ever gets the chance. I’ll break into his house if I have to and take every goddamn computer he owns.”
I want to believe him, but it’s not that simple. “What if it gets out before you have the chance? Once something is online it’s never truly gone.” Fear claws through me. “What will I do if my boss sees it before it’s removed? I’ll lose my job. Who’d ever hire me?”
