His Mystery

Four

“Why don’t we do this?” she asked softly, squeezing my hand. “Stay here until you’re discharged. Once you’re well enough, you can come stay with me.”

Could I trust her? I must’ve shown something in my expression because she continued.

“I live alone. My husband passed away five years ago,” she added gently, and I exhaled a relieved breath.

Tears welled up, but I forced them down, my voice barely above a whisper. “No one can know about me.” The fear crept back in, my heart pounding at the thought of Roberto finding me.

She shook her head, her hand warm on mine. “Don’t worry, darling. Once you heal, you’ll be free to live your life.”

“How long will I be here?” I asked, trying to shift the focus away from her pitying gaze.

“Twenty-four to forty-eight hours, depending on the doctor’s assessment,” she replied, walking over to the blood pressure monitor. Her hands moved with practiced ease, the cuff inflating tightly around my arm. As the pressure built, I bit my lip, watching her, trying to stay composed.

“Do you know where you’ll go once you’re discharged?” She placed her stethoscope in her ears, the cold metal resting against my chest. I breathed in, as instructed, and gave her my answer with a shaky exhale.

“I can’t tell you that.” My gaze dropped to my fidgeting hands, the fear creeping back up my throat. “If he finds out you helped me… God knows what he’ll do to you.”

She nodded slowly, her face soft with understanding. “Alright, sweetheart. But when you’re out of here, you’ll have to tell me your story.”

I nodded faintly as she left, her footsteps fading as she closed the door behind her.

I lay back, closing my eyes, but sleep didn’t come easily. My mind raced. How the hell had I ended up in this situation?

---

Two days later...

“Okay, sweetheart, you’re cleared to go home,” Nancy said, her voice bright, though I could hear the concern behind it. “I’ll be right back with your discharge papers.”

I gave her a small smile. “Thank you, Nancy. You’ve been a godsend.”

She smiled warmly, though there was a flicker of worry in her eyes. “I’ll be off in two hours. You can wait in the cafeteria if you’d like.”

I shrugged. “I guess I don’t have much else to do.”

Nancy disappeared while she finished her shift, but when she returned, we made our way to her car, the quiet of the hospital weighing heavily on me. As she unlocked her car, I climbed in and locked the door, nervous despite myself. Why should I still be scared? He had left me for dead at the hospital entrance.

We drove in silence to Nancy’s home. When we arrived, she led me inside, her voice filled with warmth as she showed me around.

“Thank you for everything,” I said, choking back tears.

She smiled gently, placing a hand on my arm. “You can thank me by getting better, and staying far away from your husband.”

Her kindness overwhelmed me. I nodded, following her directions to the guest room, a peaceful beach-themed space with a queen-sized bed and soothing colors. It felt safe—finally, somewhere safe.

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, barely recognizing the woman looking back. The bruises were fading, but the emptiness in my eyes was new. I was no longer the person I used to be. The woman who cried for five minutes in Nancy’s bathroom was someone I didn’t know anymore. But I couldn’t afford to stay broken for long.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, steeling myself. This was it. I would be strong now. No more self-pity. No more letting him control me.

Dinner with Nancy was simple, but I was grateful for the comfort. As I finished my meal, I finally said what I had been holding in.

“I was eighteen when I met Roberto. He was twenty-three, and we just clicked. A year later, I married him. My parents hated him, but I thought I was in love. He treated me like a princess, but that changed two years ago. His undercover work… It took everything. And I let it.”

Tears fell as I told her the truth, the story I’d kept buried for so long. And for the first time, I let myself believe there might be a future beyond the fear.

Nancy listened in silence, her gaze soft but unwavering, never interrupting. She didn’t need to say anything—her presence alone was more than enough to make me feel heard. I wiped my cheeks, trying to compose myself, but the dam I’d carefully built over the years was finally breaking.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into, Nancy. The man I married... he was charming, confident, everything I wanted. He’d pull me close and promise me the world. But then the anger came. The manipulation. The isolation. I lost myself, bit by bit. And when I tried to leave... I couldn’t. Every time I thought I had the strength to walk away, he’d reel me back in. He made me feel like I wasn’t capable of surviving without him.” I swallowed hard, struggling to continue.

“I think he always knew how to twist my vulnerabilities. He was always one step ahead. Even when he wasn’t there, he controlled everything—who I talked to, where I went, what I wore. It was like living in a constant state of fear. The worst part?” I let out a shaky laugh, the sound bitter. “I started to believe he was right. That I needed him. That I couldn’t survive without him.”

Nancy’s hand was on mine now, squeezing gently, her eyes full of compassion. “You’re stronger than you know,” she said softly. “You got out. And that’s not easy. A lot of people never do.”

I nodded, wiping away the last of my tears. “I keep telling myself that. But it doesn’t feel real. And every time I think I’m free, I remember what he’s capable of. He’ll come after me, Nancy. He always does.”

She exhaled, looking at me with a deep, steady gaze. “If he comes, we’ll be ready. You don’t have to go through this alone anymore.”

Her words wrapped around me like a lifeline, and for the first time since I’d fled, I felt something shift within me. Maybe it was hope. Maybe it was trust.

“I don’t know if I can trust anyone again,” I admitted quietly, glancing up at her. “But I think I’m starting to believe you.”

Nancy smiled softly. “That’s all I ask for. Trust doesn’t happen overnight, but we’ll take it one step at a time.”

I nodded, looking at the floor. For the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel entirely like I was walking on the edge of a cliff. There was still fear, but there was something else, too. Something that had been dormant in me for so long. A glimmer of strength, of courage.

After a few moments of silence, I finally looked back up at Nancy. “You’re right. I’ll take it one step at a time. And maybe… maybe I’ll start believing in me again.”

She gave me a gentle smile, standing up from the table. “You should. You deserve to.”

As I watched her walk to the kitchen, I couldn’t help but feel that, despite everything, maybe I could make it through this. Maybe the future wasn’t as hopeless as I’d thought.

That night, as I lay in the guest room, the soft lull of the ocean outside lulling me to sleep, I promised myself one thing—no matter what happened next, I would never let him control me again. For the first time, I had a chance to start over. And I would fight for that.