Rhea returned home a bit early from work. Setting her coat aside, she stepped further into the room. Her eyes searched for Valerie. Was she not home yet?
“Val?” Rhea called out gently, deciding to check their room. Getting there, she hesitated but pushed the thought aside.
She opened the door, and there was Valerie, sitting on the bed, her back bent, her face cradled in her palms, and her elbows resting on her knees. She seemed lost in thought, a million miles away.
Rhea stepped forward, her steps light and careful. Sadness swept across her features.
“Val,” she called lightly, but Valerie remained unmoved, still drowning in her thoughts.
Sighing, Rhea stepped closer and touched Valerie’s shoulder.
Valerie seemed to snap out of her trance, her gaze shooting up to meet Rhea’s. “Rhea!”
She stood up to face her and took a deep breath, clearing her throat and masking the sadness that Rhea had glimpsed for a fleeting moment.
“Hey… uh, you got off work quite early. How are you doing?” Valerie asked, forcing a smile.
Rhea sighed. “How long are you going to keep doing this?” she asked, her tone firm.
“Doing… what?” Valerie asked as Rhea stepped closer.
“What’s going on, Val? Why won’t you tell me anything? Whatever it is that’s bothering you?” Rhea asked, her eyes full of concern.
“There’s nothing bothering me, babe… I’m f-”
“Don’t,” Rhea cut in. “I thought we were past this. I thought we were honest with each other, Val. But it seems you don’t want to share what’s really going on. And I don’t appreciate that,” she said, her voice laced with a mixture of concern and frustration.
Valerie looked away. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m fine,” she said, meeting Rhea’s gaze again. “I’ve made something for dinner. Let’s eat.”
She moved to walk away, but Rhea held her back. “You’re seriously just going to brush it away? Don’t you think I’ve noticed? The way you cry sometimes in the middle of the night, the drinking and smoking more than usual, the way you drift into deep thoughts and don’t even hear me calling your name?”
“It hurts to see you like this, Valerie. I’m your partner, the one who’s meant to be there for you, and watching you shut me out is breaking my heart. It’s been so long since I’ve seen a genuine smile on your pretty face…”
“And don’t even get me started on how you release your anger on the gym punching bags like your life depends on it. Like you want to pour out every frustration gnawing at your soul. If you think I’m just going to ignore all of this, you’re dead wrong!” Rhea’s voice rose, her words and angry expression finally seeming to reach Valerie.
Valerie’s eyes welled up, her fists clenching by her sides. She bit her lip and looked away, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“I… I’m sorry,” Valerie croaked, her voice trembling with emotion. The sight of her breaking like this shattered Rhea’s heart into a million pieces.
Rhea’s gaze softened, and her grip on Valerie eased. She closed the distance between them, bringing her hands up to cup Valerie’s face.
A small, reassuring smile crept onto Rhea’s lips as her thumb wiped away the tears tracing a slow path down Valerie’s cheeks.
“Talk to me,” Rhea whispered. Valerie gritted her teeth, her breathing shaky.
“Is it about Nana?”
Valerie sniffled. “No,” she whispered, more tears streaming down her face as her hand reached up to hold Rhea’s.
“Then what is it?” Rhea asked, leaning in closer, their faces inches apart. “Please.”
Valerie shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. “It’s my uncle,” she whispered. “My father’s younger brother.”
It was then Rhea realized that Valerie had never spoken about any relatives apart from Sienna, who had betrayed her, her late Nana, and her parents, who had died in an accident long ago.
“Let’s sit,” Rhea urged, noticing Valerie’s slight trembling. She took her hand and guided her to the bed.
Valerie lowered her head. “My uncle and I were once close. He was always around before my parents died. He loved going out, and I, being an extrovert, loved following him everywhere. He was like an older brother to me, always teaching me how to be strong and do dangerous stunts. Sometimes I’d tell him I wished I were a boy, and he’d look me in the eyes and say, ‘No one’s stopping you.'” Valerie scoffed bitterly, a shadow falling over her face.
“But there was a problem with him. He was involved in dangerous things-drug dealing, trafficking, gambling. My father constantly yelled at him, threatening to send him off the streets if he didn’t stop. My dad didn’t want him influencing us kids, especially me who doesn’t listen to him. Even Nana didn’t like him and avoided visiting our home because of him.”
Valerie paused, and Rhea waited patiently, giving her time to gather her thoughts.
“When the pressure got too much, he left. It broke my heart, and I missed him every single day. Then a year after my parents died in the accident, and he came back for the funeral. He looked… different. More dangerous. I had to ask myself if he was still the same uncle I knew. But he reminded me of our time together…”
“I started to fall for it. I was stupid, dumb, naive and too young to calculate things… I fell into his trap. One night, he lured me into a room. He turned the lights off, smoking dangerously as he began taking off his clothes…”
Rhea’s eyes widened as a horrifying thought crossed her mind.
“He…” Valerie’s voice broke as she whispered, “He raped me. That night… my uncle, Drake, raped me.”