Patrice's Story (A "Living With The Choices We Make" Novella) ✔️

14 - Iron Fist (Part II)

This chapter is dedicated to sarcasmholic who has been following Patrice's struggles with great insight. Thanks for all your support and valuable feedback :)

14 - Iron Fist (Part II)

A couple of weeks later, Marcus calls my bluff when he sends me to Doctor Sullivan's office to drop off the final check. It's my last chance to set things straight with him, but when I'm actually standing in front of the receptionist, my courage deserts me. Marcus is right. At this point, I lied so many times to authority figures that they will dismiss any allegation as bogus. Getting Marcus mad at me will be the only consequence and I'll end up worse off than I'm now. I had my opportunity to speak up and blew it.

On my way out, I run into Rena, the girl I met at the shelter when I was staying there with my mom and my siblings. I read on the internet that she had ended up killing her boyfriend, but the judge let her off lightly after a jury convicted her of manslaughter. Marcus, who had prosecuted the case, had been furious about the sentence and appealed, but I have no idea what happened in the end.

Curious to learn what she's been up to, I approach her while she waits for the elevator. "Hey, what's up?"

Her smile is reserved. "Okay. How 'bout you?"

"Fine."

Awkward silence follows as I eye her discreetly. She is pale as fuck but otherwise, I can't tell she's been to jail. How long has she been out? Must be about six months now.

"How is your mom?" she asks.

Her question drives tears to my eyes when all the stress of the last few weeks creeps up on me. "She's having a lot of problems with my dad. It has been hell."

"You want to get some coffee and talk about it?"

I can't help for a few tears to escape. She is practically a stranger, but her gaze is so open and genuine as if she actually cares. "Would you mind? My friends all don't know and I have no one else to talk to."

"Not at all. Come on, my treat."

As we cross the street, I check my watch. Marcus said he'll pick me up at three thirty, so that will give us almost half an hour. We should be okay. Rena ushers me into the small diner and we settle in a private booth in a corner. After we order, the awkward silence is back until I finally break it.

"My mom filed another divorce petition just after Christmas, but my dad got temporary custody again. When she tried to come home, he had changed the locks and didn't let her back in until she signed an affidavit that she had made up all that stuff about him. After that, he beat the shit out of her before calling us kids downstairs and forcing mom to tell us that she was a whore and terrible mother." The tears are rolling freely as the memory replays in my mind. It's still so vivid, like it just happened yesterday. "He made us spit on her."

Rena looks horrified. "I'm so sorry, Patrice."

I wipe the tears off on my sleeve, embarrassed to have lost my composure in front of her. "That's not all. He made her drop the divorce after he told her that he'll take Lamar and Alyssa away from her and she would never see them again. Since then, he has been controlling her every move. She is not allowed to go anywhere without his say-so." Fresh tears threaten to choke me. "And the other day, he spanked Lamar real bad. He wasn't able to sit without pain for a week. Everyone is just tiptoeing around the house since then, waiting for him to explode. It's unbearable."

"Did you tell Doc Sullivan?"

I shake my head. "I just talked to him a few times when the custody petition was still pending and only dropped off a check for him today from my dad. I don't really like him—he's a dick and very annoying. I never told him what was going on. If I did, my dad would probably kill me." I omit that by lying to him, I ended up screwing myself over. Hindsight can be cruel and in this case, too late.