Chapter 15
Fifteen
Aubrey
“Ellie!” I pound on the door and call out. “Ellie! Open the door!”
The door swings open a moment later. Ellie’s expression is alarmed. She doesn’t say a word, just leaves the door open and
turns in silence and walks to the sofa. She folds her legs under herself, eyes cast out the windows to Columbus Circle below.
“Are you okay?” I sit next to her.
She shakes her head but remains silent.
“Well,” I toss the morning copy of The New York Post at her. “I take it you’ve seen this?”
“Seen what?” Ellie scrunches her eyebrows at me.
“Turn to page three.” I nod to the paper.
She does and then her eyebrows lift with surprise.
“Oh my God.” Ellie’s eyes scan the article, which details every moment of her near-rape by the Columbia professor and includes
a copy of the check stub made out to one of his students. Although Savannah’s name is blurred out, the implication is clear.
The author of the article also insinuates that Human Resources at the university was made aware of the professor’s sexual
transgressions with his students and covered it up.
“I can’t believe they printed it,” she finally says.
“I can’t believe he almost raped you.”
Ellie drops the paper on the coffee table in front of us and then leans back into the couch. Emotion hovers in her eyes and
she wipes her palms over her face. “I keep replaying every moment in my mind. I don’t think I’ve slept more than a few hours
since it happened last week.”
My voice drops an octave. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just . . . couldn’t believe it almost happened. I kept thinking about what it must have been like for Savannah. Every time
I thought about it I started crying, so I just didn’t have the words to say anything. I got home that night, sent an email
to The Society with a photo of the check stub with Savannah’s name on it, and I haven’t talked about it since. Jack knows
something is wrong, but I just keep putting him off and saying that work has been stressful.”
I nod. I’ve been careful. I don’t think she suspects anything, but I’ve been doing damage control as much as possible. I’ve
stopped by every evening under the ruse of being a good friend, but really I’ve been keeping tabs on her. I knew when I moved
into this place I’d end up seeing Ellie a lot more than I’d like to, but I didn’t expect it to be this much.
“My husband would not be happy if he found out I was spending time with other men in an effort to destroy them,” she says,
sarcasm lacing her statement.
“Does he always have opinions on how you live your life?” I quip. It’s weird playing both sides, gaining her trust and manipulating
her thoughts—but I guess there isn’t any other way to make things happen. It’s been interesting getting to know her, anyway—we’re
nothing alike, she and I. It’s refreshing and annoying all in the same breath. I like the challenge.
“He’s going to lose his job for this. Especially since you’ve actually got evidence,” I finally say. “The Society must be proud of their newest recruit.”
“I guess,” Ellie says. “I just hope he doesn’t do this again.”
“Men like him don’t just turn over a new leaf, but at least he won’t be able to prey on his students anymore.”
“I didn’t realize how much this job would affect me,” Ellie admits.
“If it were easy taking down powerful men, we’d all do it,” I say with a shrug. “You did good, El—you know that, right?”
Ellie nods. “I thought doing the right thing would feel good.”
I pat her knee, a surge of sympathy welling inside me for her situation. Not only is she dealing with an absent husband but
now she’s navigating a group of the most powerful and well-connected women in the city.
“I got an email from Kat—she says she’ll be in touch soon with another event invitation,” Ellie says.
“Damn, these women move quickly,” I reply.
“I just don’t know if I have the heart for this again,” Ellie confesses.
I let her words linger between us for a while before I finally say the only thing I’ve been thinking. “I wish I could take
your place. Taking down these fucking assholes would bring me joy and purpose. Who knows how many women these predators would
target. They’re fucking untouchable and it makes me actually rage.”
Ellie doesn’t reply, but she lifts the paper in her hands and returns to the exposé on Professor Matthew Ruehlman. “He was
such a dickhead,” she finally says, “but a charming one.”
“They always are.” I think about Jack. If she only knew what I know. Someday the truth will be revealed and she’ll realize just how untrustworthy men really are. “Want to order pizza from Pop’s?”
“Sure,” Ellie says, eyes still scanning the article.
“Got any red wine?” I ask, eager to get her mind off the misplaced guilt she seems to be feeling. She shakes her head no but
doesn’t say anything else. “Great—I’ll have the delivery guy pick up a bottle on the way over.”
She nods, her thoughts still a million miles away. This woman doesn’t even realize that she’s living in a gilded cage of her
own making. But I’m determined to show her the truth of her small, pathetic life. There’s freedom in honesty, even when it
breaks us.
Especially when it breaks us.