Page 64 of Degrees of Acceptance
“I need to call Jenny,” I say to Chase. “Did you see the look on her face? She seemed to play it off kind of cool, but she must be hurting to know he would sell her and the company she loves so much out like that,” I say.
“Give her some time, Baby. Ty will probably try to fill her head with a lot of bullshit. She’ll need a friend to help sort through it all.”
I’m clearing dinner when I get a text from Jenny.
Message:Have time to come over? Ty’s gone.
Reply:Of course.
Message:Thanks.
“Chase, I’m going to Jenny’s. I’m not sure what’s going on, but she wants me to come over. She said Ty’s not there,” I say, seeing the flash of unease cross his features.
“Let me get hold of Jay and make sure they have security in place in the event he goes to see her,” he says.
“Thanks, Honey,” I say, leaning over to kiss him.
“Of course,” he says. Matt and Sheldon are already in the car when the driver draws up to the entrance to collect me. Jay must have given them the address since he already knows where he’s going. The driver pulls over to the curb a block from her house, and Matt and Sheldon get out.
“Kate, we’ll be right outside,” he says before the driver continues to Jenny’s home.
I walk up to her door and knock. She answers it in her robe with wet hair, and I gasp as she looks up at me. Her lip is split open, and I can tell she’s been crying.
“Jenny, what the hell happened?” I ask, closing the door and giving her a big hug.
“He didn’t deny anything. He said that he has to look out for the big industries because they pay his salary and it was nothing personal. I told him that he knew that if Chase didn’t expand nationally that I would not have the business to expand. I said it’s nothing personal my ass, and he slapped me,” she says, tears filling her eyes.
“Jenny, that is assault, you should report it,” I say fuming.
“Just leave it, Kate. It’s just over. On our way home tonight he had a couple calls from the pharmaceutical companies. At least, I think that’s who they were. Chase was right, they want all their money back, and they want it now. He was in a foul temper, and I personally think he may be in way over his head,” she says.
I open a bottle of wine and pour a glass for each of us. Jenny is seated on the couch, and as I bend down to hand her a drink she reaches up, and the sleeve of her robe slides down her arm revealing a large red burn mark.
“Jenny, what the hell is this?” I ask, putting my glass down. I push the sleeve of her other arm up, and the same mark exists. I suddenly feel sick to my stomach at the realization. She has been tied up roughly. She is just looking at me blankly and shakes her head as the tears continue to fall. “Jenny, talk to me. What happened,” I urge gently, sitting down beside her to take her in my arms and comfort her.
“He slapped me, tied me up… and then he raped me,” she stammers. She is sobbing uncontrollably now, and I hold her close. “I tried and tried, but I couldn’t get free, and I couldn’t push him off of me. He turned into someone different tonight. He wanted to hurt me and was laughing,” she says between sobs.
I rock her as she continues to cry. “Jenny, you have to turn this in. He can’t rape you and get away with this,” I say seething with anger.
“He can get away with it, Kate. I threatened to call the police, and he just laughed and slapped me again. He said if I went to the police that he would have the books for Torzial opened for investigation.”
She is rambling. “Jenny, slow down. Breathe deeply and tell me what he said,” I say.
"He has been using Torzial accounts to launder money and who knows what else. The entire company will fold if he divulges this, and he will if I turn him in,” she says.
I hold my dearest friend close and just listen for a while. “Jenny, even if you don’t think you can turn him in, I believe that you need to go to the hospital and get an exam. Get the burns on your arms documented; get an examination for the record. You said he was rough with you, are you okay down there, torn or anything?” I ask, gently probing.
“I’m not going, Kate. I just needed someone to talk to.”
“Okay, the last question then. Are you protected from pregnancy?” I ask.
“I’ve been on the pill for years.”
We spend the better part of the night talking, and she drinks more than I have ever seen her drink, ever. My efforts to encourage her to slow down are met with a serious scowl. I stay with her until she succumbs to exhaustion and the effects of too many glasses of wine, before tucking her in on the couch with a quilt and a pillow from her room.
Message:Can you have security stay at Jenny’s? I’ll leave when they take over.
Reply:Yes, what’s wrong?
