stood just behind Michael. He didn ’ t even hear her approaching.
“ What is going on, Mike? Was Hillary really being bullied? ”
“ Hillary ’ s fine, ” he said dryly and walked past her to the stairs.
Michael walked up to Hillary ’ s room. Without knocking, he entered. Hillary was asleep on her bed, with her back to him.
“ Wake up! ” Michael yelled, giving her shoulder a shove.
Hillary turned to face him. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and winced.
Why is he here so early , she wondered. She feared that he would force himself on her again or make her do one of the other unspeakable acts he had taught her.
“ What? ” she asked groggily.
“ No more of this lazy crap, Hillary, you ’ re going to school first thing tomorrow. ”
“ No! ” she protested, “ I ’ m not going back to school. ”
“ Yes you are, don ’ t you dare talk back to me! ”
“ I don ’ t wanna go to school...I don ’ t need school anymore. ”
“ Tough, you ’ re going and you ’ re going to te ll them you were being bullied and that ’ s why you didn ’ t want to go before. ”
“ What are you talking about? I —”
“ Hillary Ann e Greyson, I ’ m only saying this one last time so make sure you hear me. Tomorrow morning you ’ re gonna wake up bright and early, take a shower, get dressed all nice and pretty and be on that school bus when it comes, because if you don ’ t, God help me, I ’ ll make you suffer! ”
“ You ’ re already making me suffer, ” Hillary retorted.
“ And another thing, ” Michael said angrily, ignoring her comment, “ you ’ d better not say anything about what we ’ ve been doing. ”
“ You mean what you ’ ve been doing to me? ”
“ Don ’ t act like you don ’ t like it...that ’ s not the point. You keep your mouth shut about it, you hear me? ”
Hillary said nothing.
“ I said do you hear me? ” Michael repeated, grabbing Hillary ’ s face roughly so that she faced him.
“ Yes I hear you, ” she said robotically.
“ Fine. Get out of bed and go wash up, you stink, ” he said as he turned to leave. When he got to the door he turned back to her and said softly, “ I ’ ll see you later, Princess. ” He wink ed his eye then turned and walked downstairs. He found Kathy on the couch sipping a cup of coffee.
“ I had a talk with Hillary, ” he informed her, “ she ’ ll be returning to school tomorrow. ”
Kathy faced him nervously. She knew she should accept what he was saying without question. Yet, she felt compelled to know.
“ What about the bullies? ” she asked, feigning ignorance.
“ I told Hillary how to deal with them. She just needed a good pep talk, is all. She ’ ll get her confidence back in no time. ”
“ Why didn ’ t she mention it to me? I asked her so many times what —”
“ You wouldn ’ t know how to give h er advice like I do. D on ’ t take it personally, babe, you ’ re just a weak little lady . ”
Kathy didn ’ t disagree, she was weak. Years and years of subservience had rendered her numb. She did what Michael demanded, thought what he thought, believed what he believed. She had long ago stopped being Kathy Nicholls, individual human. She was now Kathy Greyson, Michael ’ s puppet. Nor was Kathy disturbed by her role; she accepted her position happily. She was content being a dutiful wife and mother.
After several awkward silent minutes, Michael stood up to leave.
“ What ’ s for dinner? ” he asked, “ I ’ m starving. ”
Kathy, mimicking her leader, stood up and said, “ pot roast...it shou l d be done soon. ”
She walked to the kitchen to tend to the meal, as suggested. Yet Kathy, who had been troubled by Hillary ’ s prolonged depression now had an unshakable, nagging suspicion that her husband had something to do with it. She didn ’ t believe that Hillary would confide in him. She didn ’ t believe that Hillary had been bullied. Hillary had been a popular girl,
“ What is going on, Mike? Was Hillary really being bullied? ”
“ Hillary ’ s fine, ” he said dryly and walked past her to the stairs.
Michael walked up to Hillary ’ s room. Without knocking, he entered. Hillary was asleep on her bed, with her back to him.
“ Wake up! ” Michael yelled, giving her shoulder a shove.
Hillary turned to face him. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and winced.
Why is he here so early , she wondered. She feared that he would force himself on her again or make her do one of the other unspeakable acts he had taught her.
“ What? ” she asked groggily.
“ No more of this lazy crap, Hillary, you ’ re going to school first thing tomorrow. ”
“ No! ” she protested, “ I ’ m not going back to school. ”
“ Yes you are, don ’ t you dare talk back to me! ”
“ I don ’ t wanna go to school...I don ’ t need school anymore. ”
“ Tough, you ’ re going and you ’ re going to te ll them you were being bullied and that ’ s why you didn ’ t want to go before. ”
“ What are you talking about? I —”
“ Hillary Ann e Greyson, I ’ m only saying this one last time so make sure you hear me. Tomorrow morning you ’ re gonna wake up bright and early, take a shower, get dressed all nice and pretty and be on that school bus when it comes, because if you don ’ t, God help me, I ’ ll make you suffer! ”
“ You ’ re already making me suffer, ” Hillary retorted.
“ And another thing, ” Michael said angrily, ignoring her comment, “ you ’ d better not say anything about what we ’ ve been doing. ”
“ You mean what you ’ ve been doing to me? ”
“ Don ’ t act like you don ’ t like it...that ’ s not the point. You keep your mouth shut about it, you hear me? ”
Hillary said nothing.
“ I said do you hear me? ” Michael repeated, grabbing Hillary ’ s face roughly so that she faced him.
“ Yes I hear you, ” she said robotically.
“ Fine. Get out of bed and go wash up, you stink, ” he said as he turned to leave. When he got to the door he turned back to her and said softly, “ I ’ ll see you later, Princess. ” He wink ed his eye then turned and walked downstairs. He found Kathy on the couch sipping a cup of coffee.
“ I had a talk with Hillary, ” he informed her, “ she ’ ll be returning to school tomorrow. ”
Kathy faced him nervously. She knew she should accept what he was saying without question. Yet, she felt compelled to know.
“ What about the bullies? ” she asked, feigning ignorance.
“ I told Hillary how to deal with them. She just needed a good pep talk, is all. She ’ ll get her confidence back in no time. ”
“ Why didn ’ t she mention it to me? I asked her so many times what —”
“ You wouldn ’ t know how to give h er advice like I do. D on ’ t take it personally, babe, you ’ re just a weak little lady . ”
Kathy didn ’ t disagree, she was weak. Years and years of subservience had rendered her numb. She did what Michael demanded, thought what he thought, believed what he believed. She had long ago stopped being Kathy Nicholls, individual human. She was now Kathy Greyson, Michael ’ s puppet. Nor was Kathy disturbed by her role; she accepted her position happily. She was content being a dutiful wife and mother.
After several awkward silent minutes, Michael stood up to leave.
“ What ’ s for dinner? ” he asked, “ I ’ m starving. ”
Kathy, mimicking her leader, stood up and said, “ pot roast...it shou l d be done soon. ”
She walked to the kitchen to tend to the meal, as suggested. Yet Kathy, who had been troubled by Hillary ’ s prolonged depression now had an unshakable, nagging suspicion that her husband had something to do with it. She didn ’ t believe that Hillary would confide in him. She didn ’ t believe that Hillary had been bullied. Hillary had been a popular girl,
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