Chapter 6
June
T he man I knew as Kai left the building as soon as Dr. Rose mentioned the word “rape”.
What was left was just a body without a soul.
His eyes became a scary void, an emptiness that could suck out all the happiness from me if my gaze lingered there too long, so I looked away.
I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t take away the pain he was feeling right now.
Rape was a terrible thing to go through. I had helped many sexual assault victims over the years, so I knew some of what they went through. The worst part was a lot of them were violated by people that they actually knew and trusted.
I shuffled a little closer to Kai and wrapped my arms around him gently. I had no idea if that would make him feel better. Actually, I was pretty sure nothing in the world would make him feel better right now. It hurt my heart to see him like that.
I realized then that a very small part of me was jealous that Jenny had someone like Kai, someone who cared so much about her. He had the kind of smile that could brighten up a room, it had even helped me find my own smile once.
When we eventually found Chloe three years ago, alive and well, with a new name and a new life, I was so happy.
Until the feelings of betrayal creeped in.
Did she know how much sadness she had caused me?
Why did she think she couldn’t share her little secret with me?
Had I ever not been a good secret keeper for her?
The worst thing was when I found out that Lincoln knew all this time but didn’t tell me.
They owed me those tears; those years I’d mourned her. They owed me six months of my life when I practically couldn’t function.
“I’ll be there alongside Dr. Rose during the procedure.” My voice was slow and soft, the same one I used with my patients. “If Jenny wants me to be.”
I hadn’t performed many of these tests before, but I was trained as an OB-GYN, now as a fertility specialist, so I knew the procedure very well. The thought of actually performing the test turned my stomach upside down. I never liked it. It was just something I had to do. My duty to help victims.
Although I had only just met Jenny, it would be extremely hard to do the test on her with our personal connection through her cousin. But the process wouldn’t be nearly as hard for me as it would be for her, of course.
Kai finally moved. The movement was so tiny that I wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t in my arms.
“Thank you.” He mouthed the words quietly as if the act of talking itself was too tiring. I assumed that Kai wanted me to be there for Jenny, even though he didn’t actually ask me.
Kai opened his mouth again, but this time nothing came out. Was he lost for words?
He sighed lightly and repeated the act once more.
I knew that he must have questions for Dr. Rose. It wasn’t uncommon to be found speechless at a time like this. Trust me, I knew.
“What makes you think we should do a rape test?” Maybe this was what Kai wanted to ask but couldn’t find the words or courage to. I decided to shoot Dr. Rose a few questions to ease Kai’s frown.
Dr. Rose exchanged a glance with me, seemingly confused. These were the questions that were typically asked by the victim’s loved ones. Not by a doctor. As a doctor, I knew the protocol, and the reasons behind those tests.
“First of all, Jenny was very frightened. But she did calm down after a few minutes and allowed me to inspect some of her body.” Luckily, Dr. Rose played along.
She swallowed hard before continuing, “Her body is covered in scars and bruises. Some old and some new. The newest ones haven’t healed properly, and I suspect they are no older than one week. ”
“I see. Thank you.” I knew that no matter how many times a doctor had dealt with situations like this, it would never be easy. Perhaps a robot – or a psychopath – would do a doctor’s job better, because they couldn’t feel and could never get emotional regardless of the situation.
“Is there a possibility that she might not have been raped?” This question blurted out from Kai’s mouth.
Dr. Rose and I both knew that this one in particular was one of the most common questions asked, also one of the hardest to answer. After all, it wasn’t something easy to accept.
“Totally. That’s all the more reason to do the test.” Dr. Rose cleared her throat.
“Listen, as hard as it may sound, Jenny’s scars and injuries have been there for a long time.
At this point, we really should keep a record of her current situation, regardless of whether she has been sexually or physically abused. ”
Kai shook his head.
“How are you going to make sure that the test isn’t going to cause her more pain?” He made a good point here.
“It will be hard.” My voice was stern. “I’m not going to lie. But this may be the only opportunity she has to gather evidence against whoever did this to her.”
I knew how hard it would be for the victim. I had been there. Intense emotions were going to get stirred up, tears were going to pour, the body was going to shake. But women are strong, and with the right support they could do it, they could do anything.
“And you’ll make sure she’s okay?” This was the first time Kai made eye contact with me after we sat down. I knew the man behind the body in front of me had returned, but I wasn’t sure I completely recognized this version of him.
“I swear on my best friend’s grave.” I said, knowing he’d get my allusion to Chloe.
Kai rolled his eyes at me but didn’t laugh at my dark joke.
But I knew that it had at least tickled him a little. His lips quirked, even if it was only just a little.
Kai stood up, headed to the drinks cabinet and poured himself another whiskey. This time, he didn’t bother to offer anyone else a beverage. Not that we wanted one.
“The bastard should pay for hurting Jenny.” Kai inhaled the whole glass of golden liquid.
Those words sent a chill down my spine, because it sounded so aggressive. And it was said with so much conviction that I believed every single word. He seemed different, darker as if he was under a shadow. Perhaps it was nothing but the lighting.
In a short time, he had transformed into someone that I didn’t recognize. This man right here was definitely plotting something in his mind. He suddenly seemed like a man on a mission – to destroy his enemy.
“Can you do the test now?” His voice was hoarse from the burn of the whiskey. He sounded calm but that was probably not the case.
“She hasn’t actually given consent. I think we should give her some time.”
“Stupid girl.” Harsh but somehow full of compassion at the same time. Exactly what a caring brother would say to their foolish sister. And I thought that because I knew. “I don’t care. If she wants to remain my cousin, she will do it.”
“I see. Conditional love, huh?” I teased a little and he threw me a sideways glance. He didn’t seem to appreciate it. But how else was I going to check his emotional state?
“I think we should order something to eat, let her get to know me. Perhaps that will help her relax a little around me. Then I’ll try talking to her about the test again. Does that sound okay?” I offered, hoping he’d agree, for Jenny’s sake.
Kai closed his eyes momentarily. Then he raised his hand and pointed at me, “I’ll make her if I have to.”
“I guess my job now is to tell her she has no choice but to do the test. And that her cousin is going to make her whether she likes it or not.” I summarized the situation for him, telling him in no uncertain terms that he was being a dick.
“Fuck. Now you’re making me sound like a real bastard.”
“Yeah, you bet. The last thing she needs is to be forced into doing anything she doesn’t want to.” I said, seeing I was having an impact on him.
I couldn’t help but feel warm and fuzzy inside. His love for Jenny was like the kind Lincoln and Liam had for me. It also reminded me of the times my brothers force-fed me vegetables. Now I ate my veg on my own, thanks to them.
“Calm down, Kai. This test isn’t like forcing some healthy vegetables on a rebellious child because it’s good for them. Please, you have to understand. Let me talk to her. Woman to woman.” Victim to victim.
That was right. I was a victim of a sexual assault too. When I was too young to know what to do, I let someone handle everything for me. In the wrong way. It was something I had still regretted up until today.
* * *
While we were waiting for the food to arrive, Kai took the opportunity to have a shower and change out of his suit.
Like a lot of Asian men, Kai wore his trousers shorter than most western men, showing off their ankles.
A lot of them either wore those tiny invisible socks or didn’t bother with any.
To me, it was an odd and ridiculous fashion trend. It somehow looked good on him, though.
Clare and Dave appeared from nowhere and started helping out with setting up the table, whispering quietly to each other as they worked.
Dave let out a laugh so loud that it shook the table.
Who knew that a 6 ft ex-military tough guy who could kill with a look had such a great sense of humor.
No one would have guessed that they were bodyguards at all.
There were fourteen rooms in this apartment.
Fourteen.
I thought that my little apartment was too much for just me. Mom had repeatedly said that I could have stayed at Dad’s, or with Liam. And that I was taking away a home from some homeless person.
I knew it was nonsense, but I couldn’t help feeling guilty for ages after I made the purchase. My conscience kept reminding me that there were starving and homeless people in the world who would die for just a fraction of the space I had.
Kai came from money. That was no secret. Although I had met plenty of rich people in my life, I had never seen rich like Asian rich. They simply knew how to spend their money. Or not to.