I stood at the entryway of the house, taking a final look at what would’ve been the nicest place I could’ve lived in, if only the owner took as good of care of me as he did this house. I was genuinely excited for the chance to live here, but sadly, it was short lived. My final bag sat by the front door and I stared at it longingly. Here is my future. Our plan would either work, or I’d end up dead anyway, but at least I died having a fighting chance.
I turned and picked up my bag, ready to open and close the door for the final time when something stopped me. I didn’t want to leave quietly. Garrett would be returning from his trip tomorrow and I didn’t want him to just come back with all my stuff gone. I felt like that would be letting him win. With all the hatred and fear I had built up toward him, this would be accepting defeat. I was done with being afraid.
My feet moved toward the kitchen, grabbing a permanent marker and uncapping it by the island. Without thinking, the words flowed right out onto the smooth marble:
FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE. BURN IN HELL.
A small smirk graced itself across my lips as I felt some of my power coming back to me. It was a rush of adrenaline in all honesty. I’d never been able to stand up to him before. Even though this wasn’t a direct, in-your-face kind of standing up, it was still something. It was more than I’d been able to manage this entire time. I glanced at the note one more time before I went back, collected my bag, and walked out the door.
Leena was waiting in her car for me and I climbed in next to her in the passenger seat. She looked at me, concern etched deep into her eyes. I nodded at her. “I’m alright. I feel stronger already.”
She sent a small smile in my direction, gripping my shoulder in support. Her hand moved off of my shoulder and onto the gear shifter, moving it to drive and we pulled out of the driveway for the last time. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. This was it. This was what freedom felt like. It was scary and relieving all at the same time. There was one part about this whole thing that truly scared me though. He knew Leena. He knew she was my best friend. When he came back to find I was gone, I was worried he would go after her. Garrett did awful things to me, and I didn’t want to see that happen to Leena because she decided to help.
Did I make the wrong choice by asking them for help? Did I just put them in danger now too? Any relief that I had started to feel was now fading, being replaced with dread. What had I done? We were all screwed now. Leena and I were now good as dead, and it was all my fault. My breathing became shallow and I stared out the window, trying to calm myself before Leena caught on to my panic. Why did I do this? I deserved to die now. My beautiful best friend is going to suffer because of me.
"Sophie?" Leena's voice came out mildly pitched and I cringed, my eyes shutting tightly. "Sophie, I need you focus on your surroundings. Get out of your mind. Look out the window and tell me five things you can see."
I shook my head as my breathing became more labored. Opening my eyes meant facing reality and I wasn't strong enough for that. I wasn't strong enough for the bed I made for myself. "I can't," I wheezed out. "Leena, you're in danger because of me. You're involved in my mess now and I can't forgive myself." Panic flooded my voice and the dam broke, tears flooding my eyes as I opened them to look at her.
Leena's mouth tightened grimly, keeping her eyes on the road. "Soph, my job as your best friend is to help you. If that means putting myself in harms way, then so be it. If you didn't get me involved, you would probably be dead in the next couple of years. Garrett is a sociopath and the beatings will definitely get worse. I-" Her voice broke before she cleared her throat and continued. "If he killed you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself," she finished softly.
Her words blanketed me with peace. I tried to find the words to respond with, but I couldn't. The silence for the last few minutes of the drive was bleak. Leena put the car in park and we climbed out, gathering the last of my bags and dragging them up to the apartment. Of course, Leena only allowed me to carry the lightest bag despite my protest. Even though I knew she was right, my injuries were at risk of flaring up, it still made me feel more worthless than I already did. We dropped the bags at the door and crossed to the couch.
"Alright, operation get your stuff out of the demon's lair is complete. Now, we need to set the rest of the plan in action." Leena looked at me with a look with a seriousness I didn't even realize was possible. She took my hands in her own. "We need to go to the police, Sophie. Or at least call them here. You took pictures with the burner of the injuries, we need to bring those to light. We need to get ahead of this while we still have a little time to."
The mention of the police froze my blood. I squeezed Leena's hands to prevent myself from hyperventilating again, my eyes sealing themselves closed. I heard Leena deep breathing slowly and I followed along. "I don't know if I can do this, Leena..." I whispered, my voice barely audible. She gave me a comforting squeeze and I glanced at her.
"You have to."
My bottom lip quivered and a few tears slipped from my eyes as she met my gaze and I nodded. "Call them. Just please don't leave me."
Leena moved forward and gave me a gentle hug, being mindful of my ribs. "Never. I'll have Sarah call the police and meet us up here." I nodded as we pulled away and I got up to grab my blanket sitting on top one of the suit cases. I wrapped it around my thin frame and went to stare out the window as I waited for the police. After a few minutes, the door opened and I heard Sarah's voice drift from the door. My mind was shut off, but the snippets I collected had something to do with the police being on their way. Footsteps made their way toward me and a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I flinched with a small whimper, being pulled back fully to the present.
"Sorry, Sophie," Sarah apologized softly. "I didn't think about what reaction that would cause."
I exhaled deeply and shook my head, turning to face her. "It's okay. I need to get over it at some point."
A look of pity flashed across her face and triggered a flicker of annoyance in me. It was bad enough that I actually had to ask for help, but to be looked at like some charity case made this a whole new ball game. Yes, I went through something traumatic. Yes, I was emotionally and physically scarred from it, but that didn't mean I want to be treated like I'm fragile. I don't want those ugly looks from people as they think "Oh what a poor girl to have gone through all that." I just want everything to be back to normal, before people knew what I was hiding behind closed doors. I was just Sophie. That was the only label I needed, wanted. Not victim, not abused, not traumatized... Just Sophie.
Knocking at the door made me jump and shrink back against the wall. Leena opened the door and Sarah went to stand next to her. A few officers stood at the door and came in when Leena gestured for them to do so. Two of the officers immediately went to talking to the two women next to them, while the female of the group set her sights on me. Her face was blank of any emotion, causing me to shuffle my feet uncomfortably. I tilted my head down to break the stare as she walked over towards me.
"Sophie Miller?" My breath halted, as did the footsteps as polished brown shoes entered my vision. I lifted my head at the officer and nodded. She offered me a small smile. "I'm Detective Morrison. Would now be an okay time to ask you some questions, Sophie?"
I glanced at her warily as she waited patiently for my answer. This was the next step in the plan, but I was so scared. Talking to the police, getting help from Leena and Sarah stepped miles outside the boundaries of the actions I had been punished for. My body started shaking and I blinked back tears, trying not to give in. Detective Morrison placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and I resisted the urge to cringe away again. I couldn't keep cringing away from everyone's touch. Garrett was an evil monster and he deserved all the hell that will rain down upon him. I needed to do this. Not only for me and my healing process, but for potential other victims. If his ex-fiancée was a true person, maybe she didn't actually run away. Maybe she was dead. Another victim in his world of violence.
I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. It's time for the truth to finally be revealed." Detective Morrison gestured to the couch and we both took a seat. I told her every event that had happened between Garrett and I, starting with the day we met. Every incident of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse, I aired it out to her. With the more recent injuries that I had taken photos of, I brought them up on the phone. There were a lot of tears and stumbling during my story, but Morrison listened with patience, taking a break to hold my hand during particularly rough patches as another officer took over the notes.
"That was definitely a lot you went through, Sophie. I commend your strength to remove yourself from that situation and to get help," Morrison said and looked down at her notepad. "By any chance, did you receive medical treatment for the injuries you sustained during your time with Mr. Franks?"
I shook my head. "It was never an option," I whispered softly. "He knew too many questions would be asked, especially as his punishments got worse. I never had a good poker face until it came to tolerating his actions against me to prevent further punishments." Silence blanketed us for a moment before I continued. "The moment a doctor would ask me what happened, I knew I would crack. I knew I wouldn't be able to hide the tears any longer." I sniffled and wiped my blanket over my face.
Morrison nodded in understanding and wrote down more notes. "Well, it's a good thing you have those pictures then. While there is no medical evidence of the extent of the injuries, the bruises and cuts still give some sort of statement toward the physical abuse you endured. Are you still suffering from any injuries that you have sustained?" A small whimper escaped my lips as I nodded, pulling up my shirt to expose my ribs. I showed all officers the dent where the bat struck me and when Morrison pressed into my ribs, it took all I had to not punch her. Her pressing around almost took me back to the pain of the day it happened and it exhausted my efforts to keep myself from crumbling into a sobbing mess.
"Morrison, we should probably get her checked out at a hospital. Even though the more serious injuries are a month old, there could still be internal damage that could cause threat to her overall well being and health," the officer with the porn star mustache pitched in once Detective Morrison was done with her examination.
Morrison nodded her agreement and stood up. "She does need to be checked out, but we won't be doing that at a hospital. This man is due back tomorrow and I refuse to allow the victim to be in a public space when he does. I want to get her set up in a safe house as soon as possible." She turned back at me with a solemn look. "Let me make a few calls and we will get all three of you under surveillance where he will not be to find you."
"Detective Morrison?"
Everyone in the room looked over at Leena who leaned against the wall, watching all the events unfold in front of her.
"Yes, Leena?"
Leena looked nervous as she moved forward toward the middle of the room with the rest of us. "There has been something bugging me for a long while, but with the events that have been unfolding with Sophie's abuse case, I want to take a moment to share a concern I've had." She cleared her throat, fidgeting with her hands. I tilted my head at her with confusion, wondering where this was going. Garrett and Leena never had true beef with each other. She never saw the evil side of him. That was strictly reserved for me behind closed doors.
Morrison gestured to the empty spot on the couch and Leena sat down, staring at the area rug. She released a shaky sigh and glanced up at the detective. "As you know, my mother was murdered. I know you were one of the detectives working the case and you guys have never been able to pin the crime on somebody." I watched Leena as she continued talking, wondering where this was coming from and how it was related. "Well, when Sophie started seeing Garrett more, he really started to seem familiar to me. I couldn't put my finger on it, but all his mannerisms matched up with this image in my brain, specifically his speaking and texting mannerisms. My mom had been seeing this guy for a while and she always spoke with him over the speaker phone. I had never met the guy, but I saw a picture or two and had to read some texts for my mom while she drove from him." Leena's fidgeting grew more unruly, her foot tapping the floor softly. We all sat in silence as we waited for her to carry on her story.
"I noticed my mom became more withdrawn shortly before her death. She tried so hard to hide it from me, but there were a few times where it slipped through the cracks," Leena said softly. "She and her man stopped talking as frequently over the phone and more so in person. After her visits with him, she seemed on edge. I figured they just hit a rough patch in their relationship and didn't want to get involved. I gave her space, but still reached out daily to check in and she always responded. Then the responses stopped, right around the time Garrett started seeing Sophie."
My body froze as I could start to piece together the direction of the story. I know Leena's mom was younger, being only 15 when she was born, so it wouldn't be totally crazy to think what I am right now, but at the same time, how could that be? Leena sniffled as a tear trailed down her cheek. "When I first saw Garrett, my gut told me something was off. Even Sophie told me she had the same feelings. I didn't voice the fact we shared that with her because she seemed happy overall, but I warned her to be cautious. But after their fight in her living room while I was in the kitchen, I knew what my gut was telling me. Now, I have no proof, nothing to follow up my thoughts, but..." Leena's voice cracked and she sniffled again, wiping her nose with her sleeve. "I have a good feeling he's the one who murdered my mother. His interactions with Sophie were just like the interactions my mother's boyfriend had with her. He had a motive, my mother becoming a threat to his freedom. She didn't take shit from anyone," she chuckled at the memory, "especially him after a while. I believe he started hanging out with Sophie because she was a pretty, naïve thing to sink his claws in next and to act as a alibi as he secured his safety by ending my mother's life."
Leena bit down on her hand as a sob wracked her body. "I'm so sorry. Sophie, I feel like this is all my fault. I should have told you about my hunch, about my feelings. Maybe all of this could have been avoided, m-maybe he would be in jail..." I braced myself up on my knees and hugged Leena, the pain that flared in response be damned. We cried together as the officers talked amongst themselves, throwing curious glances our way. After a few minutes of crying, Leena and I sat and faced the detective.
"Thank you, Leena, for sharing your hunch with us. Unfortunately without any proof, there is nothing we can do with that information. It doesn't mean we can't look into it though. One thing about killers is some of them like to collect trophies, and with his violent tendencies with Sophie, there's a chance something like that could present itself. If we happen to find it during Sophie's investigation, we will definitely take things further if you would be willing to cooperate with that investigation."125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmRjwunPtx
Leena nodded without hesitation. "Anything to put my mother's killer behind bars. I know that it's a slim shot so I won't get my hopes up, but please keep me updated."
Morrison nodded and flipped her notebook shut, shoving it in her pocket. "Alright, well, I need to make some calls to arrange a safe house for you guys. It may take a couple hours, so feel free to start packing necessities for the move. Hopefully we can get you back into your homes after a few days so don't pack too heavily." Sarah, Leena, and I murmured our acknowledgement and got up to start doing just that. As Sarah reached for the door, something started beating against the door aggressively.
Leena and I shrieked while Sarah jumped back away from the door, quickly moving to the other side of the room. Detective Morrison and her officers all reached for their guns in their holsters as the banging continued.
"Sophie and Leena, you stupid bitches! Open this fucking door right this instant!"
My eyes widened as I recognized Garrett's voice. I looked at Morrison to look for direction and she shook her head. The door rattled as Garrett continued beating on it relentlessly.
"I know you're fucking in there, you can't hide your screams from me. Now open the god damn door!"
"Go away, Garrett!" I screamed at him, my voice betraying me as the fear made my voice pitchy.
Garrett stopped hitting the door and laughed menacingly. "Real cute, Sophie. You think I'm going to just let you leave? You're more stupid than I thought you were." His voice dropped, almost to a growl as he tried the door handle. "I had a feeling you would try to pull something like this while I was gone. I hid cameras in every corner of the house to watch you. As soon as I discovered your little escape attempt, I finished my work business as soon as I could and came back. Loved the little message you wrote for me on the island, Princess." The nickname I had hated since the day he first said it left his lips with so much venom, a box jellyfish would've choked on it. "You haven't seen asshole yet. Just wait until I get my hands on you again, Sophie. I will make sure your death will be painful and long as you watch Leena's soul drain from her body with yours."
My hands flew to my mouth, muffling the sob that escaped my throat. From the corner of my eye, I saw Morrison pull out her phone and tap a few buttons before putting it away. She pulled her gun and looked at me, mouthing for me to keep him talking and distracted. I sniffled and nodded. Everything will be okay. She wouldn't let anything happen to us. This will be fine.
Leena grabbed my arm as I attempted to settle myself. "At that point, Garrett, that passes asshole territory!" Leena shouted at him. "That's just plain demonic and calls for an exorcism." I choked a little on the snot draining down my throat at Leena's attempted humor, but Garrett wasn't as easily amused. He kicked at the door, seemingly trying to break it down.
"What, was slicing your mother to shit not worthy of an exorcism? Just the torture I have planned for you two?" Garrett laughed and gave a final hit to the door while everyone in the room stiffened. Sarah was nearly at the point of passing out in the corner, not able to control her breathing. Garrett continued. "Don't worry, I think hearing your screams would be so much-"
A loud bang went off outside the apartment along with a yelp from Garrett.
"Get down!" Morrison yelled at us as we shrieked and dropped to the floor. The detective and her officers moved to the door and flung it open, guns pointed out. I pulled my head up and looked into the dead eyes of the man I once called my lover, the look of surprise frozen on his face. A different officer stood over his body, checking for a pulse as medics brought up a gurney.
"He's dead!"
Those words should have brought relief to me, but they didn't. I heard Sarah rush over to us and her and Leena starting to sob and hold each other. I continued to lay on my stomach as I watched them pat down the dead man just yards away from me. My heart ached for everyone who he had touched, including myself and my innocence. Slowly, I sat up and watched everything unfold numbly. Blood seeped from under Garrett's body and spread along the concrete pad, pooling up against the doorway frame. The medics picked his body up and placed it in a body bag, moving him to the gurney and taking him away.
Detective Morrison placed a silver revolver into an evidence bag and I knew immediately that came from Garrett. None of the officers carried a revolver. What had he been planning for us? Was he going to use that to get our compliance so he could rape and torture us in his basement?
Footsteps approached me, but I continued staring straight ahead at where his body laid. I know the person who approached me is trying to get my attention, but everything was stopped. I couldn't process what I just saw. I couldn't process the feelings that flooded my body. A medic knelt down beside me and brushed the hair away from my face. I'm pretty sure she was asking me if I was okay, but I couldn't do anything.125Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofoLtcSZqW
Was I okay? I blinked a few times and finally broke my focus from the door, looking around at the officers and the medic around me.
"Miss Miller, are you okay?" The nurse checked my pulse and an overwhelming feeling of relief finally flooded my limbs.
"I'm free," I whispered.
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