Page 4 of Tangled Trust

I stop and buy my aunt a bouquet of lilies on the way to her house. Lilies are her favorite flowers. She and Mom had that in common. The thought of not being close to Sue for the foreseeable future is causing me great distress.

She’s been my fortress for the longest time. I don’t even know how I’m going to tell her about Sebastian’s abuse. I hope she doesn’t try to do something about it because Sue is the kind of woman who doesn't suffer fools or take crap from anyone.

She’s particularly protective when it comes to me. I buy an extra bottle of tonic. This is going to be a long evening, and I think I’m going to need a G&T or three to get me through it.

You’ve got this, Ella. You’re almost there. Keep your eye on the prize.

Okay, Seb. I’m about to leave you. You’d better pray I can convince Aunt Sue not to cut your nuts off and feed them to her pet potbelly pig, Fergus!

2

ELLA

"I’m going to miss you," Sebastian coos as he gives me a glorious bouquet of blood-red roses.

I’m so sick of this. Beatings and insults meant to be forgotten because, hey, he got me flowers. I suppress the urge to slap him with the thorny stems.

"I’m going to miss you, too," I lie, swallowing the bile that rises as he touches my cheek with his perfectly manicured fingers.

"How long is the conference?"

"A week. I’ll be back by Friday. But, we’ll talk over the phone every night," I smile sweetly.

I know what he’s dying to ask me. I’m sure the controlling bastard wants a list of the men going along to the conference. He must be gagging to know. But he’s trying to worm his way back into my good graces, so he doesn’t ask. I imagine it’s taking a herculean effort on his part not to.

"Of course, we will. I have to leave now, or I’ll be late for my first appointment. Have a safe trip, my love," he says, kissing me. "Don’t forget to put the flowers in water."

Even his kisses have become more possessive. As if I don’t have a say in the matter. ‘You’re mine,’ his tongue is saying as it invades my mouth.

"Okay. Have a good day. See you in a few days."

I watch Sebastian leave our apartment, and I stand at the window until I see his car disappearing down the street. Thank God! My heart rate is sky-high as I let out a desperate breath. It’s time to move. It’s as if my body has been waiting to exhale for months. Today’s the day I finally turn my back on this misery—this poor excuse for a life I’ve been tolerating for no good reason.

Today, I declare myself free. Free form tyranny. Free from Dr. Sebastian Drake, doctor of psychiatry, blessed with a beautiful smile, and equipped with a master’s degree in manipulation.

My bags are all packed and ready, but I wait half an hour so that I’m sure the man I’ve grown to loathe is at his office before I leave for the airport. There is no conference. I’m getting the hell out of England, and I’m not coming back.

Anna wanted to see me off, but I insisted that we say goodbye last night at the hospital. It’s going to be difficult enough for me without seeing her in tears on the other side of the glass partition.

I take an Uber to the airport. Heathrow is buzzing. It’s a crappy day, with toe-numbing temperatures and lots of rain. The good old English weather strikes again. It will be a long time before I freeze my ass off again like this. I hope. Sunny California, here I come.

"Good morning, Miss Jones," the woman at the counter greets me with a friendly smile. "You must be looking forward to California’s glorious weather," she comments after she’s looked at my ticket.

"Very much," I smile back.

A few months ago, I arranged with someone to help me get an alternative passport. It took some doing, but I managed just in the nick of time. There’s no point in traveling under my own name. Sebastian is no fool. He’ll check the airlines when I don’t come back, and I don’t intend on making it easy for him to find me. So, for the next few days, I’m Elizabeth Jones, traveling to the United States of America, instead of a conference in Scotland.

I check in my luggage and move to the coffee shop for some tea while I wait for my flight to board. My stomach is churning. I haven’t eaten since dinner, and at best, I was merely pushing the food from one side of the plate to the other. Even so, I’m not hungry. I keep looking around to see if Sebastian is watching me. It’s ridiculous, I know, but I can’t help it.

I replay Aunt Sue’s words in my head as I sip on my hot, sweet tea. She was in a state when I shared my story with her.

"What? Why haven’t you said anything before?" she demanded with tears in her kind eyes.

"Truthfully? I was ashamed. How can I, a doctor and successful professional, fall for the manipulations of a psychopath? There it is. My own bloody ego made me vulnerable, Aunt Sue."

"Oh, my sweet girl. You’re not to blame."

Sue calls me her sweet girl, even though I’m nearly thirty. I love that she does that. She’s my rock.

---