by Kait Rose
I felt like I went back in time and I was just that fragile little girl again. I started to hear people whispering and looking in my direction. This video maybe five years old, but you can tell clear as day that the girl in the video is me. I felt like I was going to past out, so I turned to get myself away from everyone until I bumped into the one person I wish I never had to see again.
“Now do you see what happens when you don’t listen. I tried warning you countless times to stay away from Jude, but after his stunt this is what you made me do. I was there for him all school year and he still chooses you over me! He was the one behind the photos, the rumors, me tossing you into the pool, and even this little video I got my hands on.” Her wicked smile widen and my heart started to break a little more.
“You’re lying! I believe the other stuff, but he doesn’t even know about the video.” I could believe all the other things he did to me out of his anger from the past, but he would never go this far. Why even do it now when we are starting over?
“Alright now you’re just being dumb. Think about it, Delilah is who you stay with, but is also your caseworker. Your caseworker gets access to any evidence of child abuse that you went through. I’m pretty sure Jude stayed with you during Thanksgiving which is in Delilah’s house. So to make it more simple for you, Delilah had the tape which Jude found and gave to me to humiliate you so bad to the point you now have no choice but to leave. Him pretending to forgive you and like you was a complete act to trick you into coming here tonight. Now bye bitch.” The rest of her sorority sisters were smiling and waving to the door. Most started to laugh at how I was dismissed. I did what I only knew and that was to run and never look back.
I tried my hardest to keep a brave face on against all the whispers and laughter, but I was human. The tears were pouring down my face by the time I got outside. I took off my heels and started to walk back to my house when a loud crack of thunder hit. It would be my luck for a storm to start. I guess when it rains it pours, literally. I started to run in the pouring rain towards my house before any one saw me. I needed to get in my bed and just lock out the world for a while. I don’t even know how I’m ever going to show my face again.
I was only running for a few minutes when a car pulled up to me. “Madison, honey is that you?” I froze in shock to see Mrs. Montgomery speaking to me out her window.
“I, uh, yes. Hi Mrs. Montgomery.” Something didn’t feel right. Out of all nights, it was shocking to see her. The last time we saw each other was when she kicked me out for crashing her car into the porch.
“What are you doing in this storm? Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”
“I’m alright, thank you.” I waved her off, but she refuse to take that as an answer.
“Don’t be silly and get in. I’m not leaving you out here in this.” She was stubborn and I was desperate to get in my bed. I reluctantly got in and the feeling I had in my stomach grew worst.
We drove the next ten minutes and pulled up to my house. I went to get out, but paused with my hand on the door handle. How did she know where I lived? We hardly talked on the way over, so I turned to her and said, “How did you know this is where I lived?”
“You told me on the way over.” Honestly, my head isn’t exactly clear right now. Maybe I did tell her and I’m just being paranoid.
“Sorry, it’s been a long night. Thank you for the ride. I’m sure I’ll see you around, goodnight.” I got out and headed for my front door. I felt rude not inviting her in, but who could blame me. After everything that happened to night, I really didn’t need a night of catching up with Mrs. Montgomery. I stuck my key in the door and felt something cold touch the back of my head. The familiar touch has the memories racing back and everything fades to darkness.
Chapter Thirty Two
Madison
I have had terrible nightmares since my father killed my mama, but this one was in the top five of the worst. From everyone seeing the video of Mr. Montgomery raping me to being held hostage by Mrs. Montgomery, I am going to need a session with Doc to get over this one. My head is even pounding and it’s taking everything in me to open my eyes. Did I drink tonight?
When I finally was able to open my eyes, I realized it wasn’t a nightmare but my reality. I’m tied to my kitchen chair and across from me is the bitch who did it. “Awh, someone is finally awake.” Mrs. Montgomery said while she downs a shot of vodka. From the looks of it, she’s already had half the bottle.
“Let me go and I won’t call the police! Stella or Jude will be here any minute, you still have time to get out of here.” Mrs. Montgomery started to laugh and the fear that she did something to them made me start fighting for my life. I started to rock the chair back and forth, hoping to fall backwards and break it.
“Enough!” She went from laughing to angry within seconds. She slammed the gun on the table and that had me realizing how bad the situation I was in. Mrs. Montgomery was crazy enough to use it, so I stopped rocking the chair.
“Little girl, still stupid I see. No one is coming here to save you. Your friend is at a concert that won’t end for another hour and Jude is a little preoccupied.” I forgot Stella was out with Brad, but it made me happy she wouldn’t be in the hands of this psycho bitch.
“What did you do to him!” I feared Jude came here looking for me.
“Oh stop the dramatics. I didn’t touch him, but I know someone who has. He’s wrapped up in one of Chanel’s sorority sisters. I’m guessing having a girlfriend who fucked their foster daddy wasn’t a turn on for him.” The cruel smile of hers returned and the panic in me rose.
“How do you know all of this?” I always knew she had to know about Mr. Montgomery raping me because the more he did it, the more she got lost in her pills. The question though is how does she know that Chanel played that video?
“I liked when you were past out.” She took another shot and said, “I’ve been following you for a while now and realized I wasn’t the only one who hated you. It was easy enough to get that girl to tell me everything going on about you. All I had to do was promise her a spot at the country club and that I would get rid of you for good.”
“Why are you doing all of this?” I can see Chanel agreeing to anything to get me to leave so she can have Jude, but why is Mrs. Montgomery doing all of this because of something that happened years ago?
“Why? Why!” She slammed her fist on the table and said, “You ruined my life. It was bad enough you flaunted yourself all over my house, but you had to go as far enough to seduce my husband when I was generous enough to let you live there. You forced yourself on him and then you put him in jail when he broke it off. Thanks to you, he couldn’t take living in jail anymore and killed himself. Do you know what that means?” She was completely insane if she ever thought for a second I would let him touch me willingly. The fear was replaced with anger and I wanted nothing more to hit her. The only thing that was helping me keep my cool was the fact that Mr. Montgomery is dead.
“He’s rotting in hell where he belongs?” Probably not the answer she was looking for. I mentally slap myself in the head for being a smart ass at a time like this. Mrs. Montgomery didn’t like my answer either by the way her face was turning an angry shade of red.
She back handed me across the face while screaming, “You stupid girl! Suicide means no insurance money. I am completely broke because of you.”
“So tying me to a chair and holding me hostage is going to help how?” I needed to keep her talking so I can find away out of this mess. I started to wiggle my wrists and thankfully I felt the ropes loosening up.
“I have nothing to live for. I refuse to live in poverty or be known as the rapist widow. I lost my friends, my country club spot, and now the house. I decided if I am no longer going to live, I don’t think you deserve to either.” What a lunatic. She took another swig from the bottle and stuffed a washed cloth inside it. I prayed she would change her mind and not light the house on fire, but my prayers weren’t heard. Th
e next thing I know she lit the cloth on fire and threw it at my living room curtains. The flames went rampant across the living room wall and it was only time when they would spread to the kitchen.
“Are you crazy!” I cannot die in a fire with this crazy bitch. The smoke was coming in fast and I already felt the heaviness in my chest. I remembered the day at the pool when Jude told me I needed to fight. I needed to act fast and saw my only opportunity when she turned to grab another bottle. I untied my feet and went running towards the kitchen door. The relief I felt knowing I was about to escape vanished within a second.
“Do you really think you’re getting out of here alive!” She threw me on the ground and started to drag me by the ponytail. There is blood everywhere from my fingers trying to grasp whatever I can to stop her from dragging me closer to the fire.
“Get off me!” I grabbed her by the ankle and knocked her over on to the ground. All I had on my mind was getting out of this house and running to Jude. Even after everything tonight, he was the one I needed the most right now.
I tried getting up off the floor, but Mrs. Montgomery got on top of me. We wrestled a bit, but she still had the upper hand. The smoke was making it hard to breathe and see. When I looked over to see that the flames were starting to spread in the kitchen, I started to buck wildly hoping to get her off me. She wasn’t too happy that I was still fighting because the next thing I know she picks my head up and slams it down on the ground. Everything starts to get blurry and I knew I had to keep fighting.
“Fuck this!”, she screams and the next thing I hear is that awful familiar sound.
Bang
I never wanted to hear that sound again after hearing it before my mama died. The pain is severe in my stomach and I could tell this wasn’t good. My perfect little white dress is now turning red from the blood. I wanted to be a fighter, but at this point all the fight I had in me was gone.
From what I could see through the haze of smoke, Mrs. Montgomery was staring at the gun and downing more vodka. I wonder if she regrets her choices tonight. I always thought she wasn’t the best kind of person around, but I never thought she was capable of committing murder. Her and Mr. Montgomery deserve each other and I hope she enjoys rotting in hell with him.
The flames were so close I could feel the heat. It was only a short time until we either suffocated or burned alive. At this point, I’m praying I bleed out before the fire gets me. The flames were making it hard to breathe and the more I cough, the more I felt the blood coming out. My eyes were starting to grow heavy and the only peace I could find is that I won’t suffer anymore from the memories that plagued me. Even though Jude isn’t here, I used my last of my strength to say, “I love you Jude.”
Chapter Thirty Three
Jude
Tonight is the night I ask Madison to be my girlfriend, well again. We had a terrible start to our year because of me, but I planned to make up for it every single day for the rest of my life. Madison without doubt is someone I want to be forever with. I don’t deserve her, but I hope she will want to give us a real try this time without anymore secrets.
I headed down to a diner that was pretty similar to her favorite back at Delilah’s. I ordered all her favorites and hoped that this time asking her will go better than when we were kids. “Hi, I’m picking up my order, it’s under Jude.” The waitress was a busty brunette around my age and was already giving me the fuck me eyes. Months ago I would be all over her, but now no one compared to Madison.
“Hi there love, it will be thirty dollars.” She leaned over the counter, pretending to fix a sign, while her boobs were a centimeter away from popping out.
I went to give her the money, but when I reached into my pocket for my wallet, it wasn’t there. “Shit, I’m sorry I left my wallet in my other jeans. Can you hold this? I’ll be back in twenty.”
“No problem! I’ll be waiting for you to come.” She winked and said come seductively. I’m trying my hardest not to be a dick and just walk away, but my mouth had other ideas.
“Sweetheart that little act of yours is more of a turn off than a turn on.” Her face went from happy to upset instantly. I wanted to turn away, but damnit Madison was really changing me. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be a dick. What I want to say is you’re a beautiful girl and just be yourself, you don’t need all that.” Her mood completely went back like I never said anything awful to her to begin with. Girls, fuck.
It took me about ten minutes to get back to my house. This definitely was a setback, but hopefully Madison won’t be too pissed that I’m late picking her up. I got to my house pretty quick, but the entire road was lined up with cars. Our house was jammed pack with people and I had no idea Knox was throwing a party tonight.
I was already running late, so I said fuck it and parked in the yard. I got out and headed into my house that was silent besides the porn playing on the television. I went to look away, but the sight of those brown unruly waves of hair caught my eye. I pushed through the bodies and got myself closer to the television. It only took me a second to realize what I was seeing wasn’t a cheap porn, but Madison being raped by that scumbag Mr. Montgomery.
I was sick with just knowing this happened to Madison, but to actually see it was another thing. I felt the bile rising up, threatening to come out of my mouth any second. I unglued my eyes from the screen and that is when the anger set it. Why the fuck is this playing on the television for everyone to see? All the anger from knowing this prick put his hands on her and took something so innocent from her made me see red. Before I knew it, I punched a hole through the screen of the tv. That didn’t lessen my anger, so I picked up and slammed it on the ground shattering what was left of the screen.
“Hey! What the fuck! That cost me eight hundred dollars!” Ezra shouted. He maybe my best friend, but wrong move on his part.
I grabbed Ezra by the throat and slammed him into the wall. I got eye to eye level with him and demanded to know who the fucked played this video. He seemed to get nervous when he realized I was the angriest I have ever been. I just hoped he wasn’t the one behind this and whoever was better pray that Madison never hears of this.
“Relax I didn’t put it on, I’m pretty sure that was Chanel and Knox. They’re the ones who threw this party last minute. Why would you get mad over a cheap porno anyways?” It would be that vindictive bitch to do something this vile. I was a bully to Madison in the beginning, but I would never go this far. She didn’t deserve the shit I put her through let alone this.
“That wasn’t a cheap porn you fucking idiot! Did you not look closer to who that was on the screen?” I was ready to snap his neck, but he truly looked confused.
“No I didn’t watch it, I just heard it in the background. A few of Chanel’s sorority sisters invited me out to hit a joint between us, I wasn’t even in here until you started smashing my tv.”
“That was Madison in that video being raped by our foster dad. Where the fuck is Chanel and Knox? They better pray Madison never finds out about this video.” I hissed and when I stepped back from him he looked like he was going to be sick before the look of horror sprung on his face.
“Madison was here or maybe still is!”
“When did you last see her?” I needed to get to Madison faster than ever.
“Fuck man! I swear I didn’t know. Last time I saw her she walking over to see what was on the tv, I haven’t see her since.” I couldn’t waste another second with Ezra, I needed to find Madison now. I screamed over to him to start looking and call me if he finds her. Knox and Chanel will be dealt with later.
I ran upstairs to check my room to see if maybe she locked herself in there. When she wasn’t in there, I busted my way through every other room to see if she was hiding. Once I realized she most likely left the house, I started to call her phone. It went to voicemail each time before I threw it out of anger, smashing it to pieces. I needed to get to her house and hope she was there.
I ran into Ezra at the bottom of the sta
irs, but by the look on his face I could tell he was starting to worry. I yelled over to him that I was going out to look for her and for him to keep an eye here incase she is still here. Of course though Chanel and her cronies would be blocking off the door.
“Jude! I’ve been looking all over for you! Do you want to come have a drink with me?” The nerve of this bitch. She really thinks I have no idea what she has done.
“You have one second to get the fuck out of my way!” I was losing patience more and more with each second that went by without finding Madison.
“Really! After seeing her fuck Mr. Montgomery, you would still choose to go after her?”
“She was raped! What in the hell is wrong with you, she was only a kid in that video.” Her sorority sisters looked disgusted and in shock at what the video truly was.
“How do you know she was raped! She is a piece of trailer park scum that wanted to get a head in life by fucking…” Chanel didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence before Abby, Declan’s brother’s girlfriend, threw a nasty punch landing right in Chanel’s mouth.
Chanel started to spit out blood, but then rushed towards Abby. Before she could even touch a single hair on Abby’s head, her sorority sisters held her back. “You’re going to be sorry for that! You guys let me go!” Her friends shook their heads in disgust and one of them demanded her to tell me what else she did.