Page 72 of The Banned Books Club
“That’s just it,” she said. “I don’t want to drag you into this. It’s not your problem. Besides, you don’t understand. He’s not like you or me or most other people. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“I can take care of myself, Maggie,” she said.
Maggie had been her childhood nickname. Gia had called her that all through grade school and middle school, even after she’d asked everyone to call her Margot. Margot missed the trusting child she’d once been, missed the sheltered existence she’d known before she’d become responsible for children herself. “You don’t know that.”
“We can take him on together,” her sister insisted.
As Margot had expected, Gia was all for fighting. But she didn’t understand how vicious Sheldon could be or how far he’d go to avenge even small slights. “No, G. He’ll win in the end.”
“Winwhat?” she asked, sounding confused.
How did she explain what was at stake? That was the problem. The verbal abuse she’d suffered had been terrible, but no one considered verbal abuse debilitating—not until it grew bad enough that it finally turned physical. And she could feel it drifting in that direction, wasn’t willing to wait that long. By then it’d be too late. “The battle between us for...for the understanding and support of our family and friends. And for custody of the boys. He’ll use the money he makes, the business he owns and the influence of his parents to discredit me. Make me look small and insignificant next to him—unworthy of what’s rightfully mine. And if that would only cost me my reputation, I’d risk it. But Iwon’trisk my children.”
“You’re afraid he’ll take the boys?”
“I know he will.”
“But...how could he?” her sister demanded. “You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Doesn’t matter. He’ll paint me as unstable or unfit or unable to provide for them or...or something. It’s so hard to fight him on anything. He’salwaysright. And once he learns I’ve left him and won’t stay in the marriage any longer, there won’t be anything holding him back. He’ll let me have it any way he can. I had to get out, G, had to save myself. You understand, don’t you?”
There was a brief silence during which Margot imagined her sister being stunned as she tried to absorb this news.
“I understand that you married the wrong man,” she said when she spoke again. To her credit she didn’t say anything about having known that all along. “I need to help you get away from him. And I can do that. Come back. You and the boys can stay with me, Mom and Dad while we navigate this thing. We’ll look after you.”
“No! If Sheldon knows where I am, he’ll find ways to torture me. And since he can hurt me the worst by using the boys, that’s what he’ll do. I refuse to let him tell them terrible lies about me and try to destroy our relationship. I won’t put myself in that constant tug-of-war.”
“What’s your other choice?” Gia asked. “Hiding? Going off to live alone? Is that any better? You don’t even have a phone!”
“Maybe not. But I have Greydon and Matthew. There’s no way he can threaten my relationship with them if he can’t even find us.”
“How will you get by?”
“I took all the money in our checking and savings. I’ll be okay for a while.”
“Youwhat?”
“I drained our accounts. Took it all.” Saying that both empowered her, because it was the punch she’d been longing to throw at Sheldon for years, and terrified her, because she knew how enraged it would make him.
“How much are we talking?” Gia asked.
“Nearly forty thousand. That should be enough to get an apartment and a car and carry us over until I find work.”
There was another long silence. Then Gia said, “Margot, he won’t let you run off with the kids.”
“I think he’ll care more about the money. But I’ve earned that money. I’ve worked so hard over years, and he’s been so damn stingy with me. I’m leaving him much more. Think about the equity in the house and business and all our furnishings. This money is mine and so are the boys.”
“Margot, come back! We can fight him.”
“You’dbe able to fight him, G. I can’t. I’m not strong like you. I have to deal with this my own way. And that’s by getting out and disappearing.” Margot glanced up in time to see the hotel clerk hand the brunette her key. She was going to have to relinquish the phone. “I have to go.”
“Wait!” her sister said. “At least tell me where you are. Or how I can reach you. Or where you’re going.”
“I wish I could, but I can’t. Tell Mom I’m sorry, and I love her. Tell Dad I love him, too,” she said and disconnected.
Gia heard a creak behind her, alerting her to Cormac’s presence.
“Is everything okay?” he asked as he sat down beside her.
