The Girl Who Refused to Be a Victim
Chapter 11 - The Girl Who Refused to Be a Victim
Emily returned home with a walking boot, crutches, and an unreasonable determination to finish her semester's studio project. She moved into a ground-floor guest suite because the staircase still frightened her.
On her first evening, I found her staring at its polished railing from the foyer.
“Want me to have the elevators opened for all the guest floors?” I asked.
She gave a small smile. “That would help. But I don't want to spend my whole life avoiding stairs.”
“Then you don't have to decide anything today.”
She looked at me, surprised. “You're getting better at this.”
“At what?”
“Not telling me how to feel.”
We laughed. Then she grew serious.
“People keep messaging me. They want me to post the footage and destroy Vanessa online.”
“What do you want?”
“I want to graduate. I want Dad's building protected. And I don't want the worst moment of my life turned into a show.”
I promised we would pursue appropriate remedies without publishing her medical details. Theo agreed not to release his footage publicly without legal authority or her consent.
That evening, Emily invited me to look at her design presentation. She explained energy-efficient windows, accessible circulation, tutoring rooms, and a studio where neighborhood teenagers could learn drafting and digital design.
“You really thought of everything,” I said.
“Not everything. I still need someone who knows how to raise money.”
I looked up. “I might know a guy.”
She grinned. “He better be reliable. The last one ignored my emails.”
May you like
I winced. “Deserved.”
And for the first time since the gala, the space between us felt like the family we used to be.
