Chapter 31
Morgan
The hospital television is silent, but the images of last night are deafening, stealing all my attention.
A helicopter’s spotlight illuminates a car.
Flashing red and blue lights atop patrol cars create a strobe effect that pierces the darkness.
A man, Jack, is chest down on the pavement being handcuffed after an intense police chase.
Last night is burned into my brain forever.
This.
My nightmare on the news for the world to see.
“Psst,” whispers Ingrid.
My gaze snaps away, glossing over Gabe in the hospital bed. For a moment, I catch Daddy talking to our head of public relations, Paul, a short man with big ears.
I didn’t notice they were here.
I meet Ingrid’s eyes. She gestures to follow her outside of the room. I slink into the hallway. She leans against the wall as nurses and gurneys pass by.
“This is my fault,” she says, her voice small.
I shake my head violently. “It isn’t. I should have told you about Gabe. I should have stayed away from Jack.”
Just saying his name causes tears to roll down my cheeks.
“He’s in jail because of me. He saw it in my eyes. He knew I didn’t want Gabe touching me.” I choke back a sob. “Gabe would’ve made me sleep with him last night. He was blackmailing me.”
“I know, I know,” she coos. “Don’t cry, babes. Your dad will fix this.”
“Not for Jack. He’ll just make it look like Gabe was attacked by a jealous fan.”
“That’s exactly what we’ll do,” rumbles Dad’s deep voice.
We spin to face him.
“I warned you about the Killbornes. I did everything to protect us, but you wouldn’t stay away from that boy.” He shakes his head. “Now look at the mess you created.”
I hold myself, my chin trembling.
Paul appears beside him. “This is the plan. We will release a statement explaining the brothers have been stalking you. Jack attacked Gabe in a jealous rage.”
“No! It will destroy his nonprofit,” I challenge. “Do you want those special people to be without that resource?”
Daddy strokes his jawline, musing. “We’ll offer to take it over. Run it as part of our community works.”
“Yes, that’s a great idea!” gushes Paul.
Dad nods. “I’ll make it happen.” He makes a phone call and they disperse.
I wipe away a tear I’ve been holding back.
Ingrid rubs my shoulder.
“If only we could make Gabe the bad guy instead of Jack. Gabe almost raped you, but he’s the victim. We have to protect Gabe’s reputation for the church’s own good. It’s freaking unfair!”
“It is.”
A beat.
“I... I have an idea,” I say. “But we can’t tell my dad.” I lower my voice to a whisper. “I know how to help Jack without hurting the church.”
She looks up, hopeful. “Oh?”
I tip my head back and sigh. “Never mind. It’s asking too much. My dad will be furious, and you’ll probably lose your job.”
Ingrid takes my hands and gazes intensely into my eyes. “Do you believe in your heart it is the right thing to do? Not for me, but for the greater good?”
My lips purse for a moment, but the answer is clear. “I do.”
Although she nods, she hesitates and swallows hard, perhaps summoning strength before speaking.
“Then it is God’s will. Tell me what you want, and I’ll do it.”
I squeeze her soft hands, finding strength in her fearless convictions despite knowing the price. I just pray this works.
Within hours, Dad posted the statement across my social media. As expected, it condemned Jack and made Gabe a victim. I didn’t expect it to happen so fast. I thought I’d have more time, but I couldn’t outpace Daddy. He has more power and people.
I just have Ingrid and my free will.
Nevertheless, by the late afternoon, the two of us manage to arrange a news conference in front of the hospital.
I stand beside Ingrid. Cameras surround us. She even set up a tripod with a livestream. It won’t play on my social media since Dad controls that, but her feed still has tons of our church’s followers.
Ingrid leads with an opening we wrote together.
“Today’s statement by Church of Redemption on behalf of Morgan Leigh Montgomery is false. The church did not have all of the facts. Miss Montgomery is here to set the record straight.”
I step forward and clear my throat.
“Thanks, Ingrid. Several months ago, Gabe Garrison, a pastor at the church, assaulted me. It occurred after hours. A bystander, Jack Killborne, heard my distress calls and intervened, saving me.
“I did not report the incident to police as I worried it would overshadow the good work we do at Church of Redemption.
Like many sexual assault victims, I was also ashamed and felt like it was my fault.
Was it something I said or wore that led to the assault?
Today, I know the answer is an unequivocal no. It was not my fault.
“Yesterday’s events were a consequence of not taking appropriate action. When Mr. Killborne saw I was once again in distress, he took swift action to protect me. He is a hero, not a villain.
“In fact, Mr. Killborne is a pillar of selflessness in our community, operating a nonprofit that serves people with Down Syndrome, the Center for Special Hearts. If you wish to support Mr. Killborne, please make a donation to his center, which desperately needs funds.
“Lastly, I urge the police department to release Mr. Killborne and arrest Mr. Garrison.”
Ingrid steps forward and thanks me for giving such a heartfelt statement.
“We will not be taking questions at this time. Miss Montgomery needs to fully recover from the trauma this has caused. Thank you.”
She ushers me toward her vehicle and reporters follow, barking questions with every step. When the car door shuts and silence engulfs me, I exhale.
I did the right thing. Briefly, I feel a weight lifted, but it’s fleeting. The gut twisting sense of guilt and fear takes over.
“Help me survive this, Lord. Please. Please, give me the strength.”
My father’s face flashes and a chill runs down my spine. I hear the dark echoes of my parents fighting. A wineglass shatters against the wall. I tiptoe down the stairs in my nightdress, clutching my teddy bear. My parents see me.
My eyes snap open.
I’ve never been so scared. Not even when Gabe attacked me.