A Churchgoing Woman

CHAPTER I – JUST ANOTHER DAY IN CHURCH –––––––– “OH, NOT AGAIN,” EMILY Logan muttered to herself, and irritated, brushed a strand of blond hair off her face. She glanced at the minister. He was droning on and on about one sin or another. Ashamed, Emily admitted that she had lost track of the service. Emily pushed hard on the armrests of her chair. She stood up and staggered for a moment, which made her wince. Emily had to go to the restroom, again, and fast. Well, as fast as she could. These days, it felt like the baby danced on her bladder with a vengeance. Emily turned to move up the aisle and met Lorna Carter’s scornful eyes. Lorna smirked and then turned to the woman next to her, whispering and shaking her head. Emily knew the rumors Lorna had spread about her for over half a year now, but she didn’t have the strength to deal with that right then. Eight months ago, someone attacked Emily on her way back home. She was struck from behind and lost consciousness. When she came to, she found that the man had dragged her into an alley behind a closed shop. Her dress was in rags, and a huge man loomed over her. She struggled, but he struck her savagely until she lost consciousness again. The man r***d Emily that night. She had just turned sixteen. A police car found her only in the wee hours of the morning, and they drove Emily to the catholic hospital of the county. There, the doctor took a r**e kit, but the police lost it soon afterward, so they couldn’t make an arrest. Fearing the consequences of the r**e, Emily's mother had asked the doctor to give the emergency contraception pill to her daughter, but he refused her. He told her that they might find a hospital or a clinic willing to do that in one of the surrounding counties. Her mother took Emily there when the doctor discharged her from the hospital, but it was already too late. A month later, they found out that the girl was pregnant with her r****t’s child. The news overwhelmed the young woman, and for over two months, her mother watched her steadily, afraid that Emily would harm herself. After those two months, Emily returned to something close to normal. When she finally stepped out of the house and went back to school, she heard the horrible rumors lurking around. People were saying that she only got what she had asked. Emily had been afraid that people would look at her and see a victim. Now, she knew better. They looked at her and saw a w***e. Soon enough, she found out who was behind the ugly rumors: the churchgoing Lorna Carter. She belittled everyone and bullied at least three parts of the town. If Lorna decreed that people shouldn’t talk to someone, most of the town people listened to her because they were afraid of her. Emily learned to deal with that, too. Anyway, some people still visited her and tried to support her. Emily passed by Lorna’s pew and ignored her. That made Lorna’s blood boil. She considered that no one should trifle with her, so she had to teach that little scamp a lesson. Lorna followed Emily’s trip to the door with narrowed eyes. Then she turned to her old friend, Annaliese, to plot Emily’s total social demise. She still had a few cards left up to her sleeve, and she couldn’t wait for the day when she would crush that w*********h under her heel. Emily still had some way to go to the door. Lorna’s eyes bored holes in her back. The young woman passed by John Rand, and he smiled at her. Then the man gazed at Lorna Carter beyond Emily. The hatred in his hard black eyes startled Lorna for a second, but then, an ugly smile flourished on her thin lips. John Rand had worked in the bakery on Main Street until Lorna bullied Jeremiah, the owner, and he had fired Rand, with no reference. Rand couldn’t find another job in that town or the next one, and he also had an old mother to support. Lorna didn’t care. The man reaped what he sowed. With indifference, Lorna’s eyes moved back to Emily, whose gait reminded her of a duck. Lorna’s ugly grin widened. Emily still had about twelve feet to the door. She stumbled, and Aileen Edwards grasped her arm and helped her recover her balance. Aileen shook her head with sadness over the seventeen-year-old girl’s state. Then, her blue eyes threw darts toward Lorna Carter. Lorna scowled back. Aileen had also gotten what she merited. She had dared to contradict Lorna before the church committee. Lorna couldn’t forget or forgive, so she had taken care of Aileen’s marriage. Lorna’s eyes shone with disdain and then moved back to Emily. Eight more feet to the door. Lorna wouldn’t have been sorry to see the teenager stumble again. Emily passed by a family of five, and the children smiled at her. Lorna’s eyes narrowed to slits. The mother immediately called the children to order. On the other side of the aisle, Matthew Jackson witnessed the look exchange and molted rage shone in his black eyes. He fixated on Lorna, but she merely smirked at him and shrugged. He was unimportant, only a bug, so Lorna didn't worry about him. Her eyes went back to Emily. Now, she passed by Lorna’s son, Edward. With a sad smile, Edward tried to assist Emily, but she rejected him. Lorna’s face contorted into a mask of fury. That stupid pup! He still sighed after that girl. Dan Hanson opened the door for Emily and whispered something in her ear. She shook her head but softened the rejection by stroking the older man’s arm. Hanson smiled at her lowered head and closed the door behind her. Then, he turned back to face the altar. His eyes intersected Lorna’s. He growled. If eyes could kill, Lorna would have been murdered where she stood.