The Bookstore on the Beach - Brenda Novak Page 0,126
about Mary, about making amends, or any true regret. This was about trying to get her own daughter to associate with her again.
Mary couldn’t help being proud of Tammy for refusing to do that.
“What’s going on?” Laurie asked, her voice stern as she reached the porch. “Where’s Tammy? Who the hell are you?”
“Laurie, meet the woman who kidnapped me, beat me, chained me up, yelled and cursed at me constantly, used me like a slave and allowed her husband to rape me at will.”
“I didn’t know he was doing that!” Nora screamed. “Why won’t anyone believe me?”
“You knew it once I got pregnant,” Mary countered.
Nora looked between her and Laurie. “He said he was sorry, that it only happened once. And even if he was lying, what could I do? We couldn’t let you go. We’d go to prison. I had no choice but to continue living with the terrible decision I made when I pulled over to ask you for directions. But we treated you better and better as time went on,” she added as though she somehow deserved credit for that. “I saw to it myself.”
The outrage that poured through Mary brought her strength back. Her hands curled into fists as she stepped closer to the woman who, along with Jeff, had given her nightmares for most of her life. “Because you’d abused me so badly you knew you had me cowed, that I wouldn’t dare make a break for it. How can you expect any gratitude for that? After you starved me for days for the slightest thing? After you locked me up and forced me to work like a slave? After how you acted once you found out I was pregnant? Your jealousy was so out of control you left me alone in the basement to have your husband’s baby without any help at all!”
She looked furtive, nervous, as she rubbed her hands on her sweatshirt. “I—I didn’t realize you were in labor. How was I supposed to know?”
“Because I was banging on the door, pleading with you. I’ve never been so terrified in my whole life. Even Tammy woke up and tried to get you to come, and you yelled at her and put her back to bed.”
“I don’t remember it that way,” she tried to say but Mary continued talking over her.
“I truly believe you were hoping my baby would die, so that you wouldn’t have to live with the constant reminder of what your husband was doing to me the whole time, that you’d been stupid enough to fall for his lies when he claimed he wanted your help to kidnap a girl so you wouldn’t have to be the one to scrub the toilets in the mansion his family’s money provided you both.”
Nora winced. “Look at me. I have nothing, no one. I’ve paid the price for what I’ve done,” she said, falling back on that argument since Mary wasn’t willing to accept her lies.
“As far as I’m concerned, you haven’t paid nearly enough,” Mary said and whirled around so fast she nearly bumped into Laurie. “Let’s go.”
“No, don’t go,” Nora said. “Please. Allow me to apologize. I’m sorry for what I did. Truly. You were more than a slave to me. I remember you fondly.”
Mary could feel her fingernails cutting into her palms. “You’re lying again, Nora,” she said over her shoulder. “You just want your daughter to allow you into her life. But there’s no way you’re going to use me to accomplish that. Don’t ever contact me again.”
Mary expected Laurie to fall in step with her, but she didn’t. She lingered behind, yelling at Nora, telling her that she’d have to answer to Laurie if she ever attempted to speak to Mary again. There was more. They were both screaming before it was over. But at some point, Mary quit listening. Her ears were ringing so loudly she couldn’t hear, anyway.
Eventually, Laurie marched over, got behind the wheel and tore out of the drive, leaving Nora standing in her yard in the rain looking after them. “I can’t believe that just happened,” she said.
Mary didn’t respond. She was still trying to process it herself. She was sweating and shaking and couldn’t seem to stop.
“Mary?” Laurie said once they were well away. “Are you okay?”
Mary nodded. “Just keep driving. Get me out of this state. I want to go home.”
* * *
Quinn checked his phone at every opportunity. He was hoping to hear from Autumn. They typically texted each other