NEXT DAY: IVY RIVERA APARTMENT
“Mom, why don’t try calling dad to see if he is still going to come around.” Leroy pestered his mom.
“I didn’t remember to get his number.” Ivy face palmed herself.
“Oops… let’s make sure to get it today so we can always call him up on days like this okay?” Leroy said and Ivy nodded her head in agreement.
The door bell jangled. “You think he is here? Do you think my dad is here?” Leroy asked impatiently.
“It is not yet time for the meeting so will you just relax and stop getting worked up.” Ivy rolled her eyes at him.
She wasn’t expecting only Ace Clark to show up at her doorstep, she was expecting someone else from her past today.
“Maybe he decided to be here early, I will get the door!” Leroy walked to the door at a close run only to find a young lady standing on the porch with a box when he opened the door. His eyes widened in surprised.
“Aunt Emily!” He threw his tiny hands around her waist.
Leroy was able to recognize her because of series of pictures his mom had shown him over the years and she also looks a little like his mom. Emily was surprised at Leroy’s warm welcome and embrace. She hadn’t expect him to welcome her like this since they haven’t met before.
“Mom! Aunt Emily is here!” He held her hand and invited her in.
Ivy who was in the kitchen heard this and rushed into the sitting room. She was just meeting her sister again after ten years of separation. And when her gaze fell on Emily, tears welled up in her eyes.
“Oh my God.. Emily..” Ivy whispered as she placed a hand over her mouth.
Emily’s left eyes was swollen, deep dark rings was under her right eyes, a band aid on her right cheek and another band aid on her right eyebrow. Ivy eyes catalogued every changes in her sister, she was so different from the seventeen years old girl she knew back then. Emily was putting on a long sleeve turtle neck top and a jean and Ivy was sure she had this outfit on so as to cover up her bruises.
“Ivy,” Emily muttered with a pained smile on her face. She was happy to see her sister looking good.
Ivy walked slowly to Emily and pulled her in gently for a warm embrace as she let her tears roll down her cheeks.
“Why Emily?” Ivy mumbled.
“Good to see you again sis.” Emily replied as she embraced her sister.
With Ivy still embracing her. “Come on don’t cry, I am the one who is in problem. And again I hope I won’t choke to death with this hug.” Emily joked wanting to make Ivy laugh but she wasn’t in the mood.
Emily was really in a bad shape.
Ivy released her sister as she wipe her tears with her fingertips. “You never change Emily, you still have time to make jokes in situation like this.” She sniffed.
“Don’t worry it’s over now. I don’t have to be depressed because of what happened to my marriage. Believe me, I am over it now… and I mean it’s all in the past.” Emily smiled but she knew Ivy wouldn’t buy her forced smile.
“Come and have a sit. Leroy-”
“Yes mom,” he answered.
“Take your auntie bag into my room and play your video games for a while. I will call you when I am done talking with your auntie okay?” She instructed him.
“Okay mom.” Leroy replied dragging the small box to his mom’s room.
Ivy moved closer to the couch Emily sat on and held her hand. “Did your husband do this to you?” Ivy asked referring to the cuts and bruises on Emily’s face.
“Yes.” Emily whispered.
Ivy furrowed her eyebrows. “But why? Who is this jerk that made you like this?!” She grimaced.
“You don’t want to know sis.” Emily sighed.
“Tell me who is he? We have to get him arrested and sue him for battery! Emily, I just need to know who he is!” Ivy bared her teeth.
“Thomas.” Emily said her the name in just one word.
“Thomas?” Ivy frowned deeply not wanting to think Emily’s husband was the same face that popped up in her mind.
Emily shook her head slowly. “Thomas Raymond.” She said.
“The same Thomas Raymond?” Ivy scrunched up her face as she stood up from the couch.
“Yes the same Thomas Raymond we both know from your high school and college days.” Emily responded.
“But.. Emily why? Why Thomas of all men?!” She asked squeezing her forehead.
Thomas Raymond was the son of the richest man in their town. He was Ivy’s age grade and same class with her in high school. Ivy hated him back then because he was pompous and thinks his father’s money could buy anyone. He was every girl’s dream but not with Ivy Rivera in high school. Thomas was aware of her hatred towards him, and for that he had bullied her together with his guys and they called her all sort of names and that made her hate him the more.
He was the same reason why she stopped attending that high school. Ivy thought she was finally free from him until he got admitted into the same college she attended. Thomas Raymond had walked up to her in college and said he was in love with Emily and asked for Ivy’s forgiveness for whatever he had done to her in high school. But Ivy had kick him in his manhood and yelled at him to never come near her sister again and that was all. Rumors went round about her hitting the son of the richest man in town, she almost got into trouble with the cops and going to jail but Thomas had to let things go because he claimed to love Emily. And just that incident was one of the major reasons why Ivy had quit college.
“You promised me that you will never have anything to do with him.” Ivy whispered this time in a calm tone.
“Yes I did promised to never have anything to do with him.” Emily replied as she blinked back tears.
“Then how did you end up with him?” Ivy asked.
Emily couldn’t look up at her sister because she was so embarrassed and ashamed. “It.. It just happened…” she said shakily.
“How did it just happened?” Ivy questioned frantically.
“Thomas wouldn’t let me rest after he found out you left town. He kept disturbing me to be his girlfriend, saying no matter what I would become his or no one else. He did everything for me. Thomas was nice to me.. and then I thought he was the one for me.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“You should have known better Emily. That guy is a sly. I told you who he is and how he bullied me in high school. I almost committed suicide because of what I went through everyday at school. Not only that, I told you how he used many girls in school. I told you he was a playboy and you promised never to fall for him or have anything to do with him.”
“Yes.. I know but I just couldn’t help it. And somehow I fell in love with him eventually while I was in college. He was nice.. Ivy like Thomas changed and stopped chasing after girls and focused on me… just me.” Emily sobbed.
“But what did he do to you in the end? Look how he ruined your beautiful face! And what if he had killed you?” Ivy huffed in frustration.
Emily head snapped up to look at her sister. “No, Thomas was a good husband.” She defended.
“When did you get married?” Ivy asked in an unusual calm tone.
“About five years ago.” Emily replied.
“So?” Ivy said, urging her to continue the tales of her failed marriage.
“We were doing great as a couple until Thomas thought I was having an affair with my boss.” Emily wiped her face.
“So were you having an affair with your boss?” Ivy asked.
“No, I love my husband. I couldn’t bring myself to cheat on him.” Emily’s response was sharp.
“So all this beating started when he thought you were sleeping with your boss?” Ivy asked again.
“Yes I tried to make him believe I wasn’t sleeping with my boss. One day I came back late from work after I had dinner with my boss and his investors, and I never knew someone already called him and told him I was having dinner with my boss.” Emily pursed her lips to blink back tears that threatened to spill again.
“So you got beaten by him that night?” Ivy guessed.
“Yes.. and.. then he told me…” Emily was sobbing now.
Ivy sighed, went back to the couch, leaned closer and gave her a hug. “He told me that he wanted a divorce. I really love Thomas. And I tried to make him see that I wasn’t cheating but his mind was made up. And during our divorce process I couldn’t tell anyone that I was beaten by him, I just lied that I slipped and fell off the stairs. Look at me, now I am left with nothing but a broken heart and bruises all over me.” Emily wept.
“Why didn’t you sue him?” Ivy patted her sister’s back gently to help her calm down.
“I didn’t see any reason to do so. No.. maybe I was scared of what they would do to me. You know how his family are well connected in town, I will never win against them.” Emily answered as she pulled away from her sister.
“What about now? You have me you know, Emily we can summon him to court from here. We won’t use the court there but here since they don’t have any connection here. You are broken so you shouldn’t let things slide so easily. Thomas has to pay for doing this to you!” She gritted, trying to make her sister see more reasons to sue her husband.
Emily shook her head in disapproval. “No.. No I don’t want anymore problems. I just want to forget everything and move on.” Emily mumbled.
Ivy heaved a sigh. “That’s enough. Now that you are here, you don’t have to think about the past. Leroy and I are here for you but first we have to get to the hospital to see if you sustained any internal injury and I will contact my therapist for you.” Ivy squeezed her sister’s hands gently.
“Thank you, Ivy.” Emily forced a smile on her face.
“You don’t need to thank me Emily. It’s the least I could do to make things up to you.” Ivy replied.
All thanks to invention of social media platforms, Ivy was able to reconnect with her sister again. Emily had wanted to make a connection all these years but Ivy had been avoiding her sister. She didn’t want any more problems with her parents so she cut off every ties with her family. A recent Facebook text from Emily about her failed marriage had changed Ivy’s mind. She blamed herself for her sister’s problems. If she hadn’t left town Emily wouldn’t have gotten married to that beast and she wouldn’t be in this mess right now.
“Now can I talk get to talk to my nephew?” Emily asked, managing to smile just to lighten the mood.
“Sure… Leroy! Come over your Aunt wants to meet you.” Ivy called out.
Leroy paused his video game and dashed out of his bedroom running towards the living room