I wasn’t as strong as I’d thought I was. I felt like an animal trapped in a cage with nowhere to run. Even the house had started to feel unsafe. I closed the curtains during the day when I was in my bedroom.
Stan was succeeding.
I could feel myself unraveling. I was becoming crazy and barely holding it together. I needed to turn on my phone in case Luke had called or texted. He would get worried if he found my phone switched off.
With trembling fingers, I reached for it and turned it on. As soon as the screen came alive, messages started coming in, one after the other.
Dread filled me. They were all from Stan.
You're my woman.
I know you miss me just like I miss you.
You're going to keep ignoring my messages, as if I'm not important to you.
I was ready to give you another chance. A chance to right what you did wrong.
Do you fucking understand that I was locked up because of you?? And you won’t answer my messages.
BITCH. BITCH. BITCH.
You'll pay for all this. For getting me locked up. For thinking you’re better than me and all you are is a whore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I dropped the phone and sank to the floor. I buried my face in my hands. What could I do? I lost all track of time as I tried to think about my options. But my brain refused to function. All I could feel were his hands wrapped around my waist and his hot breath on my neck.
A knock on the door jolted me back to the present and I scrambled to my feet. I yanked the door open, heart pounding. I sagged in relief when I saw Paul, the chef.
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Are you all right?"
I arranged my mouth into a smile. "I’m fine."
“Why are the curtains closed?”
“Uh… I was uh changing.”
"Right. I want to ask for a favor," he said. "Could you go to the grocery store for me? I’m in the middle of making a pastry and I need a couple of things, but I can’t leave the oven."
"Sure," I replied with a nod. "Just keep an eye on Molly for me, will you?" I wasn’t worried about leaving her with Paul for half an hour at the most, since Luke had told me it was okay to leave her with Paul when I had to run out for a few minutes.
“Thank you," Paul said. "You're a lifesaver."
I followed him to the kitchen where he gave me a list of stuff he needed. I popped into my room to grab my handbag and changed my shoes. Then I went to stand at the window and peered out.
I had no doubt that Stan already knew where I lived, but he'd probably seen Luke and Paul, so he’d stayed away. When I was sure no one was lurking about, I sneaked out of the house like a thief and hurried down the street.
I walked fast, checking over my back constantly. I felt exposed. As if Stan would appear any time. I hated what my life had become. In a matter of weeks, I had gone from a happy, carefree woman to a nervous mess.
The grocery store was a ten-minute walk but it felt like half an hour before I was in the safety of the shop. I stood for a moment to catch my breath, then grabbed a shopping basket, and proceeded down the aisle.
I was being paranoid, I told myself. He couldn’t follow me everywhere. I refused to think about those text messages and what they meant.
I shopped fast, grabbing the things on the list without inspecting them for flaws as Paul liked to do. When I was done, I went to the cashier and paid. Then I began to walk back home.
It happened when I was crossing the road. One minute, I was standing on the sidewalk and in the next, a blue sedan veered off the road and came straight at me. My instincts took over and I jumped back just as it swerved in my direction.
I stared at it horrified and caught a glimpse of the driver.
Stan’s grinning face stared back at me.
Terror took over as it hit me that Stan was not kidding around. He actually intended to kill me. I ran across the road and sprinted all the way home, stopping every so often to see if I could spot the blue sedan again.
I rushed into the house and slammed the door shut. I leaned on it and tried to come to terms with what had just happened. Stan had tried to kill me! I felt sick and dizzy. My phone vibrated in my handbag and I jumped. It took a moment to collect myself and answer it.
"Luke." My voice sounded different even to my own ears.
"Ella, what is it?" Luke asked.
"It's a long story, but I'm fine now," I said and then burst into tears.
"Are you home?" he asked, almost shouting down the phone.
"Yes," I managed to say.
"I'm coming. Sit tight. Everything will be fine, I promise," Luke said and disconnected the call.
I pulled myself together and took the groceries into the kitchen. Surprisingly, everything inside the bag was intact. After everything that had happened, I’d at least expected the eggs to be broken.
"Thank you," Paul said. "I owe you one. Molly is still napping. That puppy does a good job of tiring her out."
"You're welcome," I said and added, "I'll just go check on her anyway."
I needed to see for myself that Molly was safe. If anything happened to her, I'd never forgive myself. My heart pounded as I pushed her door open even though Paul had assured me she was fine.
She was snoring gently with one hand hanging from the bed. I tiptoed in and tucked it back into place. I stared at the innocent image she was for a moment longer, then left.
I stayed in my room and peered out through the slit in the curtains. I kept reliving the moment when
