The Hanging Noose

Twenty-Nine

Dottie stands in the servants kitchen near the basement of Arrow House. Grace's words ring in her head. He tried to kill me, he left me in a pool of blood, he raped me over and over again until i passed out. It was almost like Grace's abuser was Dottie's abuser.

The servants seem to be away from the kitchen, however the ovens are still hot, trying to cool down. Dottie guesses dinner is being served, either that or every servant and maid in the house is eating. She breathes out, suddenly alone with her thoughts. She felt bad for pushing her family out, however she needed to think for herself, rather than listening to her families opinions on her child's father. Because that's all he is now, isn't?

Someone steps down the servants stairs. Dottie's so engrossed with her thoughts she doesn't click who it is, until he clears his throat, and she turns around, seeing his bruised and bloody face.

"Hello, Thea."

"Don't call me that," she hisses, crossing her arms over her chest. "How could you, Reg? How the fuck could you be sleeping with other women when I was ill? Struggling with the aftermaths of having a baby?"

"I didn't know if you would be coming back," Reggie replies, almost in a smug voice, "I needed to find a release. You was away—"

"You're making it sound like I was on holiday," Dottie snaps, interrupting him, "I was ill, Reggie, don't you get that? I was so close to killing my self, and whilst I was overdosing, you was shagging some whore!"

"They were nothing compared to you."

Dottie raises her eyebrows.

He steps forward, "I'm sorry," he says holding up his hands. "Okay? I'm sorry, Dottie. I am so sorry. Alright?"

"No! Not alright! You're meant to love me! Me! Not anyone else!"

"Shagging someone isn't loving someone," he responds, taking a step forward, "do you think I've loved everyone I've fucked, eh? Do you think I loved you the first time I fucked you? No, course I fucking never. It took time!"

Dottie sniffs, shaking her head. "My cousins were right, you know. They warned me about you."

His eyes grow dark as he walks forward. "Oh yeah? What about me? Eh?" He steps over to Dottie, pushing her back in to the wall.

"They warned me not to go for you. Said you weren't good enough—"

Reggie's sadistic laugh interrupts Dottie. He slams her in to the wall and then pummels his closed fist beside her head. Her eyes grow wide as she tries to control her breathing.

"You think I'm not good enough for you, do you, princess? After everything I do for you, eh? I bought you a house beside your mums just so you wouldn't complain of not seeing her, I put up with your cousins berating me at every chance they get, I gave you a child!"

"You were the one to beg me for a child, you told me how much you loved me! Do you remember that? You begged for me to keep our child, you cried on my lap!" Dottie says, pushing him back with her hands. "I didn't want her! I was going to abort her! Especially after how I nearly miscarried because you kicked me! Do you remember that night? Because I fucking do? I wasn't even drunk, I was just happy to be with my family, to be with my mum! And yet you punched and kicked me as soon as we got home! There was blood on the carpet, and you were worried. Then begged me for your forgiveness!"

Reggie doesn't respond, infuriating Dottie further as the memories and the pain come flooding back to her. Memories of screams, cries and bruises she had blocked out.

"You cried in my arms! Begged for my forgiveness! Told me you would never hurt me again. 'You're too good for me, Dottie', 'ill change', 'please have my babies', 'please marry me'." Dottie shakes her head, "well where the fuck was you when she was born? You hardly saw her! Even when i was home! When did you hold her, feed her, cuddle her? Eh?"

"You hardly fucking let me! Your family was found constantly, the baby always in someone else's arms! You wouldn't even touch me after she was born."

"I was psychotic and depressed!" Dottie screeches back, pushing him again.

Reggie stumbles.

"I was going insane, don't you get that? And whilst I was ill, you decided to shag some girls, didn't you? And even worse, you didn't even tell me about it. You allowed my cousins to tell me! In front of the whole family! Do you know how stupid I feel, Reggie?"

Reggie shakes his head, he wipes his forehead, almost scoffing, "I didn't tell you because I knew you would react like this. You're a psycho, Dorothea. You're fucking delusional to think that I would only ever shag you. I mean, have you seen you? You're a fucking mess!"

Dottie stomach churns. She stares at Reggie.

"You deserve to be locked up, away from my little girl. You're just going to fuck her up!"

"As if you could do any better," Dottie provokes, slapping his arm away from her, "all you would do is slap her about. If she drops something, comes home after dark, doesn't do the cleaning right, drinks a little. That's what you did to me, didn't you? That's what you'll do to her!"

Reggie grows red with anger. He digs his hand in to his pocket, pulling out a gun. He smirks, placing it on the counter beside them.
"I won't shoot you, Thea. You don't deserve a slow death." He taunts, his smile causing a wicked glow in his eyes.

Dottie doesn't have a. Chance to react before he lunges at her, grasping a tight grip on Dottie neck. She gasps out for breath, her hands flying to his, her legs kicking.

"I'll fucking kill you!"

Dottie's eyes bulge. She croaks out, trying to get her breath as he squeezes more. She kicks her legs around, trying to aim for his shins. She does, yet she has the opposite affect on him than what she wanted.

His grip tightens. She looks down, seeing the counter beside them. The metal gun sparkling in the corner of her eye.

"You're the worst thing to fucking happen to me!" He yells as she itches her fingers out towards the gun, trying to ignore the urge to close her eyes.

"You're a fucking whore!"

She flexes her fingers out, grabbing hold of the gun. She uses her free hand to claw at his.

"I'll kill you, and then fuck your dead body. Maybe I'll do it in front of Eliza, eh? Make her learn some manners—"

She presses the gun in to his stomach, and his smile falls. She doesn't say anything when she fires her shot. His pleas fall on deaf ears. He pummels over her, his blood staining her dress. She fires again, and again, and again.

She falls against the wall, his body slumped over her.