Verity wrapped herself in a towel and walked out into her bedroom. She stopped and looked at the wet footprints on the carpet. She followed the footprints out to the front door which was open. Verity closed and locked the door and fell against it in tears.
Chapter 11
It was still early, but maybe she should call the bank and resign. Maybe she should call them and tell them that she wasn’t coming in ever again. Maybe she should call them and tell them that Brad was a rapist and an assistant rapist so definitely not assistant manager material. Verity looked around her apartment. She didn’t want to live there anymore. She didn’t want to think about wet footprints in the carpet and strange men in her shower. She’d already called the real estate agent to see what they could do about finding another furnished apartment. She wondered if maybe she should buy an apartment and furnish it herself. She’d put the money from the stolen term deposits into other term deposits but had kept a buffer of funds in a savings account. She wanted to buy somewhere to live with a certain someone who was missing from her life. She wondered where he was right now and what he was doing. Almost eighteen months had gone by and nothing, no contact, no word, nothing.
Verity picked up her mobile phone and scrolled through the contacts and pressed on ‘Christine’. She put the phone to her ear and waited.
“Hi, Verity, how are you going?”
“I’m sorry to call you. I know it’s early, and I’m not technically a client of the hospital any more but you did say I could call you any time and so I am. But if that’s not okay I know there’s a rape hotline I could call. I should do that, shouldn’t I? I should just call them.”
“Verity, I will be available to you for the rest of my life. Let me help if I can. What’s the matter?”
“I started a relationship, I didn’t mean to but I did.”
“Okay. Is it going okay?”
“No. It’s not. I had sex with him for the first time on Saturday night and he treated me like a whore. He said it was his fantasy to treat me like that.”
“Not good. Did you disclose that you’d been raped?”
“Yes. I told him because he wanted to have sex on our first date, and I said no, and he asked me more times. So, after a while, I told him I’d been raped and that’s why I was taking it slow. I did have a one-night stand with an amazing and wonderful man, and that was four months ago and I thought I could do this.”
“You don’t want to be in a relationship with him because of the sex? Because of how he treated you like a whore? That’s okay. You don’t even need a reason to end a relationship, Verity. Just tell him you don’t want to see him anymore.”
“There’s more. He had sex with my face until I almost vomited, and he…I’m scared, Christine.”
“Lose him. Definitely lose him. He’s a narcissistic prick who’s watched too many pornos.”
“There’s more but I can’t talk about it. What do I do?”
“Oh, baby. Sounds like you had quite a ride. You’re crying. It wasn’t good. Okay, you don’t need to stay in the relationship, you really don’t.”
“He came back with a friend and he … I can’t.”
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, he raped you, didn’t he? He and his friend raped you. Did you call the Police?”
“What’s the point, Christine? I’m supposed to give evidence at my trial this week. It’s already started, and I can’t put this out there and have another case, or have them somehow use this against me. No. I just feel so disgusting. He set me up. He did this on purpose, and I know he thinks it’s funny.”
“There has to be something you’re willing to do to send a message to this guy.”
“I have to go to work with him today. How am I going to face him? How am I supposed to deal with this? That’s why I’m calling you.”
“Can I send someone over to you to talk? I’m in Tasmania at the moment, otherwise I’d come myself. Do you need someone?”
“No, that’s okay. I have to do my job, because they’re counting on me. I just want to make sure that I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t, did I? This isn’t my fault, is it? I don’t even know who Sam is or what he looks like. I have to move. I don’t want to be here anymore.”
“You’ve been violated. Your home is no longer a sanctuary. Definitely move and don’t bring anyone home again. Don’t tell people where you live.”
“Okay. I have to go now. I have to find a new home and I have to go to work. Thank you for listening to me.”
“I’m happy to talk longer.”
“No, that’s okay. I’m okay. I cried about it yesterday. I shouldn’t be crying now. I should just be okay.”
“No, Verity. No one is asking you to just be okay. You know what’s going to happen when you walk out on that street, don’t you?”
“Hyper-arousal and hyper-vigilance, I know that, so I’ll remind myself that’s all it is.”
“I can’t force you to stay home and take it easy. I can’t force you to report this to the Police. You need to make your own mind up about those things, but just take care of yourself, okay? Do whatever you need to do for you.”
“Thank you again for listening to me.” Verity ended the call and wiped her face. She wasn’t going to let Brad win. He wasn’t going to stop her from living her life. Verity decided to put headphones on so she wouldn’t be startled by anyone on the street, and to take a taxi instead of walking.
When Verity arrived at the bank her heart rate increased. She knew he would be there somewhere and she didn’t know how she was going to react to seeing him. She’d have to wait and see. She put her bag away and found out which teller she would be operating then checked the cash drawer and logged onto the computer. After two hours, Brad stood beside her.
“I’d like to talk to you in private in John’s office,” he said.
“No thank you,” Verity replied.
“I can’t apologise out here. I don’t want people to know what I did and how bad I feel,” he whispered, “Please let me explain.”
“Fine,” Verity said. She followed him into John’s office and he shut and locked the door. She looked at the door and back at him. “What you did was so wrong.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you were really hurt. It was supposed to just be a fantasy. A bit of acting, and I thought it would be enjoyable for you.”
“It wasn’t your backside with a stranger’s penis in it, was it?”
Brad shook his head, “I’m sorry. He’s my best friend and I just wanted to have a bit of fun. He wanted some anal after I told him how good it was. I got it for him so now he owes me one. Next time I want a threesome I’ll ask first. I promise.”
“There won’t be a next time, Brad. I’m not your girlfriend. I thought we were friends, and I thought maybe we could learn something from each other, but we can’t. I’m not the right girl for you and I don’t want what you’re offering.”
“Okay, that’s okay, just a parting kiss?”
“No thank you.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her hard. He pulled her shirt from the waistband of her skirt as they kissed.
She put her hands on his forearms as both of his hands came up under her shirt and lifted her bra up over her breasts. “Stop it.” She pushed his forearms down but he grabbed both breasts and squeezed them hard. He was yanking on them and squeezing them as he kissed her. She pulled his forearms again trying to get him off her. “Brad, stop it. They’re attached. You’re hurting me. Stop.”
“You love it,” he said, licking her face and finding her mouth again.
Verity cringed as he kissed her and she wasn’t kissing him back. It was painful how hard he was pulling and squeezing her breasts. She was ready to knee him in the groin when he stopped kissing her and unzipped his pants. “Blow me,” he said. He took her hand and put it on his penis and kissed her again. Verity pulled away from him and he grabbed her by the hair and pushed her down to her knees. “Do as you’re told.” He reefed her head around and pulled i
t back and then watched her face as he shoved his penis into her throat. He held her head where he wanted and thrust his hips towards her face. Tears came to her eyes as she gagged. She wanted to close her mouth and swallow but she couldn’t. She tried pulling back and he pulled her head around by her hair and continued thrusting into her mouth. She was tempted to bite him and wished she could. Vomit rose in her throat again from her gag reflex and she swallowed. “Drink it up, bitch,” he said. Verity swallowed as many times as she could with her mouth open. He released her hair and took a step back. “Oh, that was so fucking good. I was in you up to my balls.”
“I almost threw up,” Verity said, getting to her feet and pulling her bra back down over her breasts.
“Sorry, next time get a hand in there if it’s going too far down,” he said, pulling her into a hug. He squeezed her and shuddered. “It was so good.” He moved his hands down to her buttocks and squeezed. “I’m a sexy bastard with the hottest girlfriend in town.”
“I’m not your girlfriend, and you’re just a bastard,” Verity said, pushing him away.
Brad laughed and smacked her bottom with both hands, “I love it when you talk dirty.” He pulled both sides of her skirt up quickly and then pulled her underpants down. His hand came between her legs. “Come on, I’ll get you off.”
“Don’t touch me,” she said, trying to pull her skirt down over his hand.
“Okay,” he shrugged. He turned around and opened the door and left it open. Verity hurried behind the door and closed it so she could pull her underpants up and her skirt down. She put both hands to her face and shook her head. She wasn’t even safe in her workplace. She had to resign.
After tucking herself in, she opened John’s door slowly and walked out to go to the bathroom and rinse her mouth. She looked at herself in the mirror. She felt used and ugly. He treated her so well, with the flowers and the chocolates and the nice dinners, but it didn’t make up for how he treated her in private. She had hoped that telling him she was raped would have made him compassionate with her body, but it hadn’t and she regretted telling him. She wondered if it was why he was treating her like this and thought it was okay. She didn’t want to let Brad have any control over her life, but she wasn’t going to be able to work with him. She could walk out of the bank right now and not come back, but she needed to resign professionally. This was her first job and she didn’t want it to look bad to future employees. John wasn’t in the office today otherwise she could do it right now. It would still be two weeks from when she spoke to John so she had to keep calm and just not give Brad any more chances to be alone with her.
Chapter 12
Verity sat in the witness stand feeling violated. People knew in intimate detail what had happened to her. Complete strangers were staring at her and maybe judging her. No, definitely judging her. That’s what they were there to do. They were there to determine whether being violently raped and beaten and held hostage was a crime. It was a ‘no-brainer’ from her perspective but the defence lawyer was being cruel. He was trying to make it sound like she was willingly in a relationship with Ray, and that she had asked him to treat her like that.
“The jury is excused and the witness may step down. We’ll have a one hour recess and then hear closing,” the judge announced.
“All rise.”
Verity stood up until the judge left. She watched Ray being led out another door and was directed down from the witness stand. She walked back to the table where the Prosecution lawyer was standing, putting paperwork into his briefcase. “Thank you.”
“You did really well up there,” he said, “It was tough, but you did great. You don’t have to say anything else, but I’d like you to be here for the closing arguments. I’ll see you in an hour.”
Verity nodded and felt relieved her part was over. She didn’t even want to come to the verdict. The outcome wouldn’t change what she’d been through, and she didn’t want to be anywhere near him again. She was walking out of the courtroom when a hand came onto her shoulder. She turned around and looked at who it was. “Oh my god, what the hell are you doing here?” she whispered.
“I’m here to support you,” he said, putting his arms around her, “That was full-on.”
Verity moved away from him and walked out of the courtroom. He caught up with her and put his hand in hers. She didn’t know why he was here and the fact that he’d heard the testimony made her want to throw up. She thought it was a closed court. Verity dropped his hand, “I don’t know why you’re here.”
He took her hand again, “I’m here as your support person, Vee Kay. I’m your boyfriend, remember?”
Verity dropped his hand, “You are not my boyfriend. I didn’t even tell you when this was on and I certainly didn’t invite you.”
“Oh, maybe I read about it somewhere. So, you had sex with that guy a few times?”
Verity was stunned by the question. She didn’t know how to answer that. Brad was obviously in the courtroom and heard every word that was said. “Not willingly.”
“Yeah, but you had sex with him,” Brad said, taking her hand.
Verity dropped his hand from hers again and stopped walking. “He raped me. I didn’t have sex with him I was raped by him, just like I was raped by you and your friend.”
“That wasn’t rape that was a fantasy. But you had sex with that old guy. It’s just a bit disgusting, you know, that he’s been in the same place I have. You never know who you’re sharing a hole with I guess.”
“I can’t believe you just said that,” Verity said.
“It’s a fact. It was blunt I know, but –”
“No buts. You said you were here to support me. You knew that it was a rape case. I was open with you about what happened to me.”
“Not in as much detail as I heard today,” Brad said, “It took months for me to get your pants off, and this guy just got it when he wanted it. Every day by the sounds of it, and you were naked for him. I don’t think I can look at you the same way now.”
“Then don’t look at me, Bradley.” She walked faster and headed for the doors. He came after her and put his hand on her shoulder. She shook it off and left the building and hurried down the stairs.
“Verity,” he said, “Verity.” He hurried after her and stopped in front of her.
“What, Brad? What do you want?”
“This was a big shock for me. There were lots of details I was picturing. I’ve dicked a lot of women, it’s fine. Get me another threesome and we’ll be even. It has to be a chick this time. Hottest chick you can find and we’ll be square, I’ll forgive you. I’ll get over it.”
“You’re an idiot,” Verity replied, “I don’t give a damn whether you get over it or not. I’m not going to get over it. Stay away from me.”
“What are you saying?” he asked.
“I don’t want to be anywhere near you. I should have you charged with raping me. Stay away from me, or I’ll call the Police.”
“You’re dumping me? Right here in the street? Fuck. I just wasted a day here. I should at least get a parting root, or a blow job, something.”
Verity was floored. She’d just been raked over the coals reliving a nightmare she’d tried to get over, and this insensitive arsehole wanted a parting liaison. “Here’s an idea, Brad, you can go fuck yourself. How’s that for a fantasy? I’m sure the two of you will be very happy together.” She turned and walked down the street.
“You’re taking it out on me because you’ve been outed as a slut? Gee that’s fair. We all know you’re a slut. Have a nice life, slut,” he called out.
As if the degrading, unenjoyable sex wasn’t bad enough. As if the mouth rapes and the shower rape weren’t bad enough. Now this. Verity looked up at the sign above her. The Court Café was where she was about to drown herself in the biggest mocha they had. She walked through the doors and could feel the tears starting. She ordered as quickly as she could and went to find the most isolated table. The staff would arrive with the bevera
ge soon but she wasn’t going to be able to hold her tears back that long. She took the paper napkin from the table and put it over her face. She didn’t care how ridiculous it looked right now.
“Are you okay there?”
Verity pulled the napkin down her face slowly and looked up. It was the prosecution lawyer. He was broad and tanned and had a face like a deity. She nodded, “Mr Day, right?”
“Nicholas Day,” he said, “It’s tough feeling like you’re on trial and being judged for something that was beyond your control. It’s worse when the people you think are going to support you start treating you like a criminal.”
Verity nodded, “Does it happen a lot? Do people who claim they care start relating to the criminal and calling the victim a ‘slut’?”
“If they’re out of touch with reality, or a born and bred arsehole, yeah, and sometimes it’s a combination of the two. It happens. It’s a lot to make sense of, and some people have no sense of their own so they flounder.”
Verity smiled, “I know not all men are arseholes, but I’m having a really shitty day.”
“It’s just one though,” Nicholas said, “It’s just one day out of a whole bunch of days, and the one’s you should remember are the ones that make you smile. Once you’re done with the bad ones, you learn and you move on.”
Verity nodded, “You’re not the Prosecution I started with.”
“No,” Nicholas replied, “I have my own firm, but I occasionally work for Public Prosecutions if they need extra assistance. I’m usually on the Defence side of the court.”
“You defend criminals? You help people like Ray?”
Nicholas shook his head, “I only defend innocent people. That’s why I never lose.”
Verity couldn’t but laugh a little, “Would you like to join me for lunch?”
“Actually, I’m meeting my brother for coffee,” Nicholas said, looking at his watch, “I tend not to eat while I’m at Court.”
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