大暑 [5] / [13]
"If I had to punish somebody, Ed would be number one, then the rapists,"
she sighed deeply.
He looked at her dubiously,
"Why Ed? How exactly was he involved?”
Alexander asked, but she refused to answer. She cast her eyes downward, grabbed the milkshake, and took a sip. He waited for her to reply. Experience had taught Alexander that, if you wanted someone to answer your questions, sometimes it was best to ask them and let them hang in the air while not saying anything. After a few moments, she responded.
"It's a long story. Suffice it to say that he is the reason why this whole thing happened to me. Meeting him, dating him; that was the worst mistake I've made in a long time."
He still felt a twinge of mistrust, but that was mixed with a far more overwhelming feeling of pity that almost stifled it.
"My afternoon is free,"
he responded, looking at her.
"What do you mean? What are you talking about,"
she asked a little impatiently.
"You said it's a long story. I have plenty of time. I want to hear this long story."
She considered him for a moment, and started to laugh.
"Damn it, Alex, you never change, do you? Always asking questions, probing, investigating."
"It's my job,"
he said bluntly.
"Besides," he added,
"although the circumstances are different from yours, I was a victim too, and I know how valuable it can be to talk it out, and how important it is for your peace of mind to seek justice."
She sighed again, the joviality draining from her face, and said,
"Fine. I'll tell you everything.”
Violet sipped the milkshake and began to tell the story.