Page 66 of The Devils Melody
“I froze, Olive. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. I just kept thinking ‘Again. It’s all happening again.’” My voice cracks on the last word, but Olive doesn’t say anything. Her silence says enough.
“But then, Kage showed up like some fucking superhero with spidey-senses. Like he knew something was wrong. He got in between us and he just snapped. Told Rich that if he ever laid hands on me again, that he’d carve the tendons from his hands…”
Olive exhales like she was holding her breath this entire time. “Jesus Christ. So all this happened this morning, and you’re justnowtelling me? At three in the morning?”
“Everything just happened so fast?—”
“And let me guess, youstillhaven’t filedanything?”
“I already told you I’m not going to. It’s such a long process for such a small thing.”
“Wren, I’m really not trying to be a bitch here, but the man has put his hands on you like three times now. It’s not a small thing anymore. All you’d have to do is walk into the police department and show them your fucking face.”
Oh, she's mad now. I know she's talking about the black eye, but honestly, that was kind of Kage’s fault if you really think about it. Rich wasn't aiming for me, so it’s not like he did it on purpose. But he also wasn't rushing to my side to see if I was okay. And I know if the roles were reversed, Kage or Lennox would have been able to pull the punch back at the last second…
“I know, Liv. I swear, if he does anything else I’ll report it. I just don’t think the cops will take me seriously if I tell them he grabbed my arm a few times.”
“I still think you should do it sooner rather than later. Three strikes and all that. But the second I catch wind of him even thinking about touching you again, I’ll be going to the police myself. You don't need another man in your life touching you without your consent.”
Ouch. The words hit me like a slap to the face. I know Olive is only trying to protect me, but comparing the absolute nightmare my father put me through me with the things Rich has done? It’s just fucking wrong. The two aren’t even in the same realm of messed up, and hearing her bring it up so casually doesn’t sit right with me.
Rich is manipulative and possessive in the way that makes you question if everything is really your fault. But my father broke me in ways Rich never could. He carved out a part of me that will leave me hollow for the rest of my life. A place where love should have grown, and in its place, there's only rot.
The mood in our phone call has shifted, and I know Olive can sense it.
“Wren…I’m sorry,” she says, her voice cracking slightly. “I shouldn’t have brought up your father. I just get so worried about you, you know? I’ve been here with you through it all, and I just don’t want to see you so broken again when you worked so hard to piece yourself back together.”
It’s true. Olive really has been with me from the beginning. Through all the good and the bad shit. I couldn’t have imagined processing all the horrendous things my father put me through without her, and a part of me knows I couldn’t have done any of it if she wasn’t by my side.
I sigh harshly, trying to swallow my feelings of being hurt by her words, because I know deep down she didn’t mean it. Olive has always only wanted the best for me. “I know, and I’m sorry I haven’t listened to you. I think I’m just worried about his retaliation. What if he does something worse because he’s upset?”
The last thing I want to do is make things worse by making the situation out to be more dramatic than it is. If I pretend things aren’t as bad as they are, I can delude myself into believing I’ll be okay. It’s how I coped when I was younger and I haven’t spiraled…yet.
“If you have to worry about him doing something worse, Wren, you should definitely go to the police. It’s not like they’re going to call him up saying, ‘Hey, someone thinks you’re a psycho.’”
Tuning into the lot behind Sun Hong Kong, I park in my usual spot and turn the car off. “You’re probably right.”
“I’m always right, baby,” she says in her usual Olive tone. I can practically see her winking through the phone.
“Well, I just got home. So what do you think I should do? Should I let my guard down with these boys?”
Olive yawns, reminding me that I woke her up for this conversation and I should probably let her get some sleep. “I think you need to do whatever makes your heart sing, babygirl. And if that means having a threesome with two of the hottest men that ever blessed this earth, you know I’m all for it.”
Laughing, I get out of my car and make my way towards the door, ready for this day to be over already. “Alright alright, you’ve talked me into it. Now go to sleep. I’ll tell you all about my sex life later. Goodnight, Olive.”
“Goodnight, sweet girl.”
I smile as I hang up the phone, but it’s short lived the moment I walk up to the back door of the building. The metal frame is warped, bent right where the latch is, causing the door to not sit fully flush.
What the fuck?
My pulse begins to spike. Slowly, I open the door and peek inside. The moment I do, my stomach drops. The kitchen is completely trashed. Pots and pans laid out all over the floor, broken plates scattered across the countertops, everything is a fucking mess. My heart is racing a mile a minute. I can’t think straight as I stare at the catastrophe that is Chen's restaurant.
Oh my god. Chen!
I dart for the stairs that lead up to our apartments, taking them two at a time. Making it to the top of the staircase, I see the blood that paints the floor and stop dead in my tracks. This can’t be happening. My whole body is trembling as I cover my mouth with my hands, sobbing as I fall to the floor. Both of the doors to our apartments are kickedin, the wood splintering in the center, and a singular bloody handprint smeared across the wall next to his front door.
Remembering that Kage put his number in my phone, I pull it out of my pocket and call him. He answers after two rings. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away for too long.”
