“My husband was big. He was five foot eleven inches and weighed two hundred fifty to two hundred and seventy pounds. Solid muscle. The steroids helped with that. Now if you are thinking that the steroids were the cause of the abuse, well, sorry no. I know when the steroid abuse started and I know when my physical abuse started and my abuse started a long time before the steroids. But, oh, they made the abuse on me worse, I guarantee it.”
“Most of the people in this town where he was famous didn’t even know he had a wife and in the end that was the best thing that ever happened to me. He had plenty of women, cars, jewelry or whatever thrown at him for free. One particular jeweler designed him a ring that he wore constantly in the later part of our marriage. It wasn’t all that pretty but he found out that it made a really nasty cut if he slapped me with it just right.”
“I was married for almost four years. I had thirteen sets of cracked ribs, one smashed hand, an average of two concussions a year and more bruises and cuts than I could count. I have short term memory loss and I’m deaf on the right side.”
“Now, I mentioned that I was smart….well, that’s not completely true. In most abuse situations that I’ve heard about, the man keeps the woman penniless and so she has no means of escape. This is where I was stupid, I kept the finances in our marriage. I even invested his salary in my name where he didn’t know about it. I had money, I could have left. But I wanted a successful marriage. I hoped every day that the abuse was over and it was a new day.”
“My husband however was smart. I was allowed to have a housekeeper. I had somewhere around twenty in four years. She was hired by me after I healed from an attack but she was fired by my husband just prior to an attack so that there were no witnesses.”
“That was until the end. The National Football League Commissioner finally caught my husband using the illegal steroids and he was fired from his team. He came home and I, unfortunately, was at the top of a long flight of stairs when he saw me. He backhanded me with the aforementioned ring and sliced the side of my face completely open but the force of the slap propelled me down the stairs headfirst. I landed at the bottom of the stairs bleeding, broken and unconscious. The latest housekeeper ran to investigate the noise and watched my husband step on me as he walked out the door. She called the ambulance and the police and this time the police listened because there was a witness. The police found my husband and my husband thinking he was above the law tried to outrun them and ended up wrapping his sports car around a tree and killing himself. I woke up in the hospital a widow and free.”
“Since, I was a nobody and somehow, my brother convinced the press that I was not worth press coverage, very few people knew my name and my story. That was fine with me. I moved home to Texas and with the money that I’d invested, I created Hannah’s House.”
“First of all, it is a housing facility for those in a crisis. All of the police from a three hundred mile radius are informed of the house and bring me those in need. After the crisis and healing time has passed, my legal counsel helps the women with a new start. He works with the police to get the abuser prosecuted.”
“If the woman wants to continue at Hannah’s House, she is given a chance to work and make some money and earn some self-esteem. An organization entitled Warm Comforts gives her that opportunity. Their website is warmcomforts.com and they employ the women to make some comforting things for the home.”
“I have women that stay for a long time and a short time. Some want my help and some don’t. When they are at Hannah’s House, they are safe and loved. I have several women in my community who volunteer as house mothers and honorary grandmothers.”
Cori paused and took another drink of the water beside her. “I am a spousal abuse survivor. By the grace of God, I made it to today. I know there are some who won’t make it to tomorrow because of their spouse or significant other. If you know them, help them and try to save their life. We all can make a difference. I’m trying, one life at a time. Thank you.” Cori said standing and bowing to the audience. The moderator took the microphone from her and Cori slipped off the stage as the crowd stood to their feet to applaud her. Cori was crying and sobbing in the dressing room off the stage when Faith and Nia came to find her. The three embraced and cried for many long minutes until their tears ran dry and the tissues ran out.
“I’m sorry.” Cori apologized. “I was sure I was over this part.”
“How is that possible, Cori?”
“Okay, I hoped I was over this part. Let’s go home.”
“I’m for that. Now, aren’t you glad we came so you don’t have to drive with swollen eyes?”
“Yours are not much better” joked Cori weakly. Faith nodded and shrugged. As Cori opened the door, the event moderator was waiting for them. She silently hugged Cori and then with quiet words said, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Cori nodded and left the event with her closest friends. It was a pretty silent ride the hundred miles back to Hannah’s House.
Isaac was not surprised the next morning when Abigail informed him that Seth was working from home that day and didn’t want interruptions unless it was an emergency. She had tried to talk to him the night before when he arrived home but he was pale and uncommunicative. Isaac, however, wasn’t going to leave Seth alone. He headed for the elevator and then his car for the short drive to Seth’s house. He didn’t give Seth a chance to not answer the door; he used his key and went on in.
“Isaac” Mindy called to him as he found her and Seth in the backyard.
“Hi munchkin. How are you?”
“I not go to school today.”
“I see that. We have t-ball tonight though.” He said kissing her on the head. “I’m going to go talk to Uncle Seth and send Beth out to watch you swing. We’ll be back in a few minutes.” Mindy nodded and went back to swinging. Isaac pointed to the house and Seth moved inside and to his study while Isaac sent his housekeeper Beth out to watch Mindy.
Seth was staring into the cold dark fireplace when Isaac joined him. Isaac sat a bottle of water on the mantel next to Seth and went to sit down in the chair. He was going to give Seth a few minutes to start the conversation before he did it himself. The quiet only lasted a couple of minutes before Seth took that water bottle and hurled it across the room. It broke into bits sending the water flying everywhere. Isaac went to the nearest bathroom and retrieved several towels and dried up the water and threw away the pieces of the bottle.
“I knew him. We were friends in high school but I never knew that she married him. No one ever told me. I never knew he was the lowest piece of slime that walked the earth.” Seth ended shouting angrily. “I was actually proud to know him and even went to one of his football games in Seattle when he got me the tickets. Micah and I went. When he came here to play in Houston, we went out after the game. He had women with him; I never knew he was married.”
Seth’s voice was gruff with emotion “He beat the crap out of her and cheated on her. Did he rape her too? While she lay in bed broken, did he force her to have sex with him? Why? She never did anything in her whole life to deserve what I did to her or what he did to her?”
“Maybe she did, Seth.”
“Don’t you dare!” Seth rounded on him “Don’t play devil’s advocate with me. I’ll take your head off.”
“That’s fine with me. But you are going to your high school reunion in a few days and she may be there. You have to be in control. She won’t want your whole town to know the details of her life. She kept her voice and story anonymous on the news story last week. I doubt your mother even knows the details you now know. And Cori won’t want her to know. I doubt Cori’s family knows all the details you now know and she won’t want them too. You can’t go if you can’t control yourself. You can’t even speak to Cori again until you are in control.”
“I know that” Seth shouted “I do. How do I get
rid of this rage against that slime of a husband she had? Tell me how to do that.”
“I don’t know Seth. Why do you even care this much?”
“She is a human being.”
“Yeah, but you never liked her before. I repeat, why do you care this much?”
“You know why.” Seth shouted again.
“Yes, I do. But. Do. You?” Isaac emphasized.
Seth held his head in his hands and grumbled “How did this happen to me? I’m three months from marrying Daphne.”
“You don’t even love Daphne, you never did. You got along with her like you would a sister.”
As he talked, Seth threw his hands in the air in defeat “I thought I loved Daphne until Saturday morning when I dreamed about Cori and I dancing at our wedding reception.”
“Yikes” Isaac commiserated “but that’s just a dream, it can’t be real.”
This time Seth point at Isaac as he shouted “Shut up, just shut up. I don’t need your help to play devil’s advocate. Cori is going think I’ve gone over the edge. How do I even begin? What do I say? When she finds out that I know her story is she going to think I’m being insincere? Is this when she takes that opportunity to turn and walk away from me like she promised she would do twelve years ago on my back porch? I started the abuse on her and that slime continued it, she’ll never forgive me.”
“Why do you want her too?”
Seth groaned “Don’t make me say that out loud.”
“You are ruining my fun.” Isaac teased and for his trouble Seth lobbed a pillow from the couch at him. Isaac continued after ducking from the pillow. “Alright, alright….I have all day to watch Mindy, you have some things to do.”
Seth nodded and left the room. While he showered, Isaac returned to Mindy in the backyard. Seth came out to see his niece and tell her that he would be back later in the day and that her friend Isaac was going to stay with her while he was gone. Mindy didn’t care, her best buddy was going to be there with her. Isaac patted Seth on the back as he passed by to leave the backyard.
The first stop Seth made was at a florist where he ordered a dozen yellow roses to be sent to Cori at the Warm Comforts warehouse in Catesville. He just told them to sign the card with Seth.
Seth’s second stop was at Daphne’s house. He walked to the front door and rang the doorbell.
“Hi” Daphne greeted when she saw Seth waiting there. “Come in.”
“Thanks” he said pleasantly.
“Why aren’t you at work?” Daphne asked as they sat side by side on the sofa. “Is Mindy okay?”
“She’s fine. I need to talk to you.”
“Sure.”
“Daphne, I….” he cleared his throat “I want to call off our engagement because it isn’t what I want anymore.”
Since he wasn’t looking at her he missed the relief that briefly passed over her face. “What do you want Seth?”
“I don’t want to hurt you but there is someone else maybe.”
Daphne briefly chuckled “Maybe?”
Seth shrugged embarrassed “Yeah, maybe. I’m sorry it came to this point.”
“I’m not” Daphne said.
Seth’s head snapped around “What?”
“Take this back” Daphne said handing him the ring. “I thought I loved you but the longer this engagement went the more I realized I just like you as a friend. We would have gotten along as friends, probably but it wouldn’t have been passionate.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“No, if this engagement isn’t right for either of us then there isn’t any reason to be mad. So who is the other person?”
“Cori Lewis”
Daphne laughed slightly “Oh Seth, you don’t make things easy for yourself, do you?”
“Apparently not. And she may never think of me in those terms either.”
“But you love her?”
“I’m going to tell that to her first when the opportunity arrives. If it arrives.” He clarified. “We have a bad history.”
“I gathered as much since she didn’t look at or speak to you when you were both in the same house or the same craft booth.”
“I never said I was very smart.”
“Maybe yes, maybe no but if you have found someone to love with your whole heart, give it your best and love her with your best.”
“Thanks Daphne, you deserve that too.”
“I won’t settle for anything less now either. Thank you for breaking up with me.”
“Yeah, sure, you are welcome.” He chuckled. He rose from the couch and she surprised him with a friendly hug.
“I won’t come to the wedding but I still want an invitation.” Daphne teased. Seth nodded and headed out the front door.
On the way back to his house he called Cori and hoped he would get to talk to her.
“Thank you for calling Warm Comforts, this is Pearl.”
“This is Seth Reynolds may I speak to Cori, please?”
“Please hold” Pearl said. Seth was actually surprised when Cori came on the line in a few minutes.
“You are in serious trouble with your mother. She starts sentences with ‘Seth, that darn son of mine - are you ears burning in Houston?”
“No” he laughed. “But it isn’t surprising. She was not pleased.”
“What can I do for you Mr. Reynolds?”
“Stop calling me Mr. Reynolds first of all….”
“I could add, that darn old neighbor of mine….would that help?”
“Not really, no. Let’s just try, Seth.”
“Okay, Seth, that darn old neighbor of mine….what can I do for you?”
Seth laughed then asked “Are you going to the reunion this weekend?”
“Unless I can get out of it some way, Faith and Nia are dragging me kicking and screaming. Literally, probably.”
“Do you have something else to do?”
“Wash my hair, vacuum, clean the bathrooms, mow the lawn…pretty much anything would be more preferable.”
“Oh, ouch. Okay, then I don’t guess you’d go as my date then.” Seth grimaced. There was no comment from Cori and Seth looked at his phone to see if he still had a signal. “Cori, did I lose you?” Still no response from Cori
“Cori?” he called again. “Please answer even if it is a no.”
“Daphne can’t come?” she finally whispered.
“We’ve decided to part company and be friends only.”
“Seth, you don’t like me so I don’t get why you are even calling me so I’m going to forget that you did. Goodbye.” Seth heard the click of her hanging up on him just an instant before the dial tone.
“Crap” he swore to the inside of his car as he tossed the phone to the other seat. “Well, at least she’ll get the flowers.”
Cori did get the flowers later that day but tossed the card and then had Pearl divide up the bouquet and give half to Faith for the display in the craft store and half to Nia for display in the restaurant. Within an hour, Cori had forgotten that she’d ever received them.
Chapter 7
“Look” Cori stopped “I can’t go in there and pretend to be friendly and have a good time with people who have hated me. I just can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” Faith encouraged.
“She’s right” Nia chimed in. “We are going to go in there and enjoy the food, since we catered it, and see how fat and ugly some of our classmates have gotten.”
“I should be helping out at Hannah’s House.”
“Your mother is covering and so are John and Pearl. Move it, sister.” Faith said pointing to the door.
“I can hate you forever if this goes bad, right?”
“Honey, with your short term memory loss you won’t even remember it in the morning.”
“Ouch” Cori said with dramatic effect “just reach in and destroy my beating heart next time.”
“Move it, you are stalling.”
“All night if I have too.”
Faith explained “I’m going in. Isaac said he was Seth’s date tonight and that just ain’t right. I’m going to sit right down next to him and change that situation as fast as possible.”
“Isaac called you?”
“Everyday my friend. Every single day. I think he likes me.”
“Why didn’t you ask him to be your date? He could have had my ticket.”
“Seth had an extra ticket.”
“Why?” asked Cori
“He and Daphne broke up.”
“I think he told me that. Maybe. Did he call me?”
“Yes” answered Faith “and he sent you flowers. It is in your diary.”
“Why would he call me and send flowers?”
“Ask him.” Faith said exiting the car. Nia had already exited but Cori remained in the car. Faith and Nia exchanged a look and opened Cori’s door for her. Nia took her by the arm and pulled.
“This is a bad idea.” Cori said as she finally exited the car. “A superbly bad idea.”
“Smile and pretend” suggested Faith.
Inside the community center, Cori tried escape Faith and Nia with the guise of checking on her catering staff but they each hooked one of her arms and propelled her inside. Faith didn’t know if she spotted Isaac or he spotted her but she headed right for his table.
“Hi Isaac and Seth” greeted Faith.
“Hello ladies” they returned. “Please join us.” Seth offered. “How are you?” Faith and Nia answered but Cori didn’t. She kept looking around the room for hidden dangers until Faith kicked her under the table.
“What?” Cori whispered.
“Seth asked you a question.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I can’t hear very well in here. What was the question?”
“How are you?”
“I’m okay.” She answered the paused “Thank you for the flowers.”
“You are welcome.” Seth returned. Before Seth could speak to her anymore, more and more classmates came up to the table to talk to him. Eventually he was pulled from the table by someone to go see or speak to someone else. He had been a popular kid in school and still was apparently.
Cori was miserable but tried to keep it from showing. The evening’s master of ceremonies eventually took the stage and greeted the class of 2000. He made a few opening remarks then gave the instructions for the buffet. He thanked Warm Comforts for catering the event. Seth was finally able to return to his table.