Drayton #2
Marian stiffened next to me, and her face shot towards my family as her mother’s voice echoed through the office.
“No! I asked for the alcohol. Mom, it was my idea. Drayton didn’t hurt me. He’d never do anything like that.”
“He raped you, Marian, and that’s what you’re going to say when we go face his parents.”
“Never. I’d never say that! Drayton didn’t hurt me; Drayton loves me, and I love him. We’re getting married, Momma, and I don’t care if you don’t like it.”
“Marian Renee, you’re not thinking clearly. The alcohol must still be in your system. You will never marry a rapist or a Pennington. And that’s what he is. He raped you.”
“He didn’t. You just hate him. Why do you hate Drayton so much? He never did anything to you.”
“He’s a Pennington! His behavior says everything. He fed you alcohol, and then he took advantage of you. Rapist.
“Liar! Stop trying to get me to believe your words. You’re not going to get me to say that, ever. It was my idea. I asked for the drink. Drayton loves me!”
I knew the moment the recording transitioned to the next scene. I’d watched this so many times already, I couldn’t even count.
“Ouch. Mom? What…What are you doing? That hurt.”
“Marian, I want you to sit up and look at me.”
“Mom, I’m tired. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’m not saying those horrible things. … Why does my arm hurt?”
“Let me help you. Sit. There. Good girl. Now, look at me. Just like that. Yes, look at me and listen to these snaps I do with my finger. It’s just like I used to do to you when you were little. Do you remember that?”
“Mom, I’m… tired. I…”
Snap. Snap.
“Early today I was going through footage from the guest house. You were there, Marian, and you were with Drayton. Keep looking at me. Just like that.” Snap. “He gave you alcohol. He raped you, Marian.”
“N…No.”
“Oh, honey, he did, and I’m so sorry.”
“I—No.”
“He raped you. Listen. Take it in. Let it process.”
“Momma, no.”
My father’s eyes lifted from his screen to look between me and Marian, and my mother was wiping a tear from her face as she stayed glued to the horrifying scene that was playing out.
Snap. Snap-Snap. “Marian, there’s no point arguing anymore. We’re going to count, and everything is going to disappear. You know how this works. Keep looking at me. There we go. One. Two. Three.”
A pause as Marian started counting.
“F-four … Five.”
“There. Yes. Good girl. Keep going.”
“Six. …Seven. Eight.”
“There we go. Marian, Drayton gave you alcohol and he raped you. He did disgusting things to you while you were passed out. I saw it all on the video. He hurt you. He always hurts you when the two of you are alone. You know this. Deep in your mind, you know he’s always hurting you.”
“Always…hurting. Mom…No. I…Mom—”
“Shhh. Don’t worry. Let the medicine kick in more, baby.
You’ve been through so much today. Momma’s going to take care of it.
I’m going to protect you and make the bad man pay for hurting you.
You just remember what I’m telling you. We’ll keep going over it.
We’ll make sure he never hurts anyone again. ”
“Jesus.” My father’s hand came to settle over his mouth as the scene cut to a new one.
“Quick, lie her down on the sofa. Dr. Palore should be here soon.”
“What the hell did you give her, Melissa? She threw up all in my car. She can’t even stay awake for very long anymore. Did you get her to lie and say those things? What have you done?”
“I did what you were too weak to, Ron! I took care of a problem that wasn’t ever going to go away. Did you really think I’d let our daughter marry a Pennington? Edward Pennington’s son! Over my dead body. Hurry, get something in case she throws up again.”
“You ruined that boy’s life, Melissa.”
“I’ll ruin yours if you don’t get me a damn bowl. Go! I don’t need to hear this from you. Weak. You’re so weak, Ronald! Weak and pathetic.”
“M-om. I don’t… feel…well. Mom.”
“Shh. Momma’s here.” She paused. “Just try to stay awake and talk to me.”
“I want…Drayton. I…”
“No. No, you don’t.” Melissa’s slap to Marian’s face still made my blood boil. “You hate him. He raped you.”
“Raped…”
“Yes.”
“…No.”
“He raped you, and now he hates you for telling his parents. You never want to see each other again.”
“I never want to see you—”
Another slap.
“It doesn’t have to be this way, Marian.” She opened her purse, pulling out the needle to administer more of a shot. Time sped up. One minute and thirty-two seconds to be exact.
“Ronald! Hurry up! Something’s wrong!” Another pause. “Marian, honey. Marian, wake up! Ron, hurry!”
A new scene.
“Dr. Palore, please, she’s right in here.”
“Explain again what happened? You were very vague over the phone, Mrs. LaRoe.”
“You’re our assigned doctor through the circle, and I’m trying to keep this quiet.
I have to watch what I say. Any news of this getting out, of going public—It’s the only reason I didn’t bring in my employer…
I had to protect my daughter. She was sexually assaulted.
It wasn’t her fault, but we both know a scandal like this could ruin future suitors.
I’ve already informed the Elders. You know the protocol.
She needs to be tested and protected, and we can get to that part, but you see, with how distraught she was, I gave her a shot.
I only wanted to calm her through the confrontation.
I… think I gave her too much. I’m a doctor, I should have known better, I was just so disturbed after finding out. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
I knew the doctor was already examining Marian, despite that Melissa kept going on and on. I could still see his concern as he listened to her heart and counted her pulse. I knew he was worried about how pale and unresponsive she appeared.
“What did you give her?”
“Truthfully… I don’t remember. I’m feeling a little faint, myself. My daughter was raped. That man, he assaulted her. I watched him hurt her on tape. I saw—What I saw.”
“The shot, Mrs. LaRoe. I need to know what it was.”
“My bag… is over there. You can go look through it. I think I’ll just sit here by Marian. It was a calming drug. Just calming. She needed to calm. We all just need to… calm.”
Melissa’s tone had softened almost inaudibly, and the doctor was hurrying away, but her voice couldn’t be hidden completely as the tone turned soothingly evil.
“Marian, doesn’t that feel better? You’re better now, and if your heart wanted to stop, you could let it.
” I could see her brushing back Marian’s hair from her face.
So loving. So sick. “People die of heartbreak all the time. Just… calm… feel it stop. You can make it happen if you really want to. No one would care. Drayton wouldn’t.
I… wouldn’t. Tell the beats to slow and stop. Make them stop.”