She Never Knew
Authors: CJ Simpson
She Never Knew
By CJ Simpson
Text Copyright ©
CJ Simpson
All Rights
Reserved
Special thanks
to
the following:
My fans: You are
my inspiration
My husband: I
love you
Lori Robertson,
M.S.,
Licensed Professional Counselor
The piercing sound
of shattering glass rudely awoke Kat from a deep sleep. Disoriented, she heard
what sounded like a body colliding into furniture. In abrupt terror, she shot
up to a sitting position when she realized someone had just broken into her
apartment. Her brain feverishly urged her to get out of her room, but her body
would not respond. Instead, she sat there, paralyzed to the core.
“Jennnny!” A man
screamed with blood-thirsty rage. “Get out here!”
Shaking like a
leaf, Kat jumped at the outburst. She knew she had to act fast, but before she
could make a move, the intruder entered her bedroom. He stood at the doorway,
panting like a rabid dog. It was almost pitch black in the apartment, yet Kat
was able to discern the silhouette of a man. Apparently, he was able to sense
her presence in the bedroom as well.
“How could you
do this to me, Jenny?” The man growled as he waved his fist at her. “You didn’t
think you could get away with it, did you?”
Kat began to
hyperventilate.
Who was this man? What was he talking about? What did he
want with her? And who was Jenny?
The extra oxygen was making her dizzy.
As the intruder
advanced toward her, Kat detected a strong odor of stale alcohol springing from
his clothes. She wheezed in fear as she made a beeline for the French doors
leading out to the porch, but she wasn’t quick enough. The man caught the back
of her nightgown, and in the process of doing so, ripped it as he dragged her
back to the bed.
“Where do you
think you’re going?” he screeched, throwing her on the bed. “It’s payback time!”
She tried to scream but he put a hand over her mouth and pinned her body
beneath his. As she fought valiantly, her attacker shifted to keep her still
and from trying to escape. “Scream and you die.”
She laid there
in stupefied horror, unable to tell him somehow that she wasn’t who he thought
she was, but she didn’t dare for fear that he would kill her. The man was very
strong and had a powerful grip on her limbs. As he ripped off the rest of her
nightgown and proceeded to rape her, Kat cried silently, praying fervently for
her nightmare to end quickly.
When her
attacker was finished with her minutes later, he backhanded her hard. Then he rolled
off the bed and zipped his pants. He stood there scrutinizing her, listening to
her whimper like a wounded puppy. “Now you know what it feels like!” He spat with
disgust at the small figure on the bed. Before he left the room, he threatened
to kill her if she reported the incident to the police.
Kat remained
still, frozen with fear and curled in a fetal position. By then, her eyes had
become accustomed to the darkness and when she saw that she was finally alone,
she began to shake uncontrollably at the realization of what had just happened
to her. Hastily, she grabbed the bed covers and sheltered her trembling body.
She was unaware how white her knuckles had become from the force in which she
clutched the bed sheets up against her chin. Fearful, she stared wildly at the
exit her attacker used to make his departure, wondering if he was going to
return at any moment. Finally, out of shock and desperation, she began to sob
hysterically.
After what
seemed like hours, Kat finally pushed the sheets away from her body. She
glanced at her alarm clock and saw that it was a few minutes after four o’clock
in the morning. She didn’t hear any sounds and prayed her attacker was long
gone by now. She was afraid but she knew she had to make sure. As she slowly
raised herself to a sitting position, she winced at the soreness she gained
from her trauma. She cautiously leaned over to where her lamp sat on her night
table and turned it on. Her face felt flushed, her cheek burning from the cruel
way in which her rapist had slapped her.
In the dim
light, Kat’s eyes darted to her private area which was exposed through the torn
nightgown. There she saw blood on her thighs and on the sheets. In shock, she
rocked herself back and forth, her mouth gaping in disbelief. Her attacker had
ruptured her hymen, which meant that she was no longer a virgin.
Kat howled with
a mixture of anger and fright as she examined her body. The more she looked,
the more her blood seemed to be everywhere. She knew she had to get out of bed
and assess the damage inflicted on her body. Ignoring the pain she felt for
now, she slid from the bed and carefully held together her gown as she slowly limped
her way to the bathroom.
She flicked on
the light switch and gasped in horror at her reflection through the mirror. Blood
was smeared on her reddened cheek from when she touched it a few moments ago.
Kat yanked a
nearby hand towel and wiped her face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying,
her right eye lid slightly swollen from the strike. Sniffling, she used her
free hand to wipe away the tears that had fallen on her cheeks. There was blood
on her hands, her face, her body, and in her hair.
Feeling faint,
Kat gripped the edge of the bathroom sink to reclaim control. She inhaled
sharply as she turned the knob of the cold water faucet. The coolness of the
water seemed to alleviate the burning sensation in her cheek. As she continued
to stare at herself in the mirror, she wondered why this had happened to her.
Clutching the
towel, Kat stepped out of her bathroom and slowly crossed her bedroom floor to
where her bathrobe hung on a hat rack. She set the blood-stained towel on her
nightstand as she removed her robe from its hook. Wincing in pain, she managed
to don her robe and tie it snugly against her body. Next, she opened the drawer
of the nightstand and removed the flashlight she kept there for when the power
went out. For now, it would serve as the only weapon she had. Retreating across
the room, she listened for any signs of activity in her apartment. She sensed
her attacker was long gone but she had to know for sure one way or another.
The nightlight
in the hallway provided sufficient lighting for Kat so she didn’t have to turn
on the overhead light. She slowly inched her way down the hall to where her
living room and kitchen joined together in one large open floor plan. When she
reached the end of the hallway, she cautiously peered into the spacious area
and strained her ears for any possible movement. When she was satisfied all was
quiet, she groped the wall for the light switch. Her body continued to tremble
as she took a deep breath. Gripping her flashlight tightly, she turned on the
light.
There was no
sign of her intruder. Exhaling sharply, Kat’s eyes were drawn to the kitchen
where the back door had been left ajar. Dropping the flashlight, she ran to the
door, pulled it shut, and locked it. She immediately turned on the outside
light and peeked through the venetian blinds for any sign of activity.
She was careful not
to disturb the numerous shards of broken glass that littered her living room
floor as she inspected the damage to her window. She guessed her attacker must
have exited through the back door and climbed over the railing to make his
getaway. Leaving the light on, Kat knew it was time to call the police, despite
her attacker’s threats if she told anyone.
She made her way
into the kitchen where her phone lay on the counter, connected to its charger. In
a few seconds, she was connected to a live person.
“911 Operator.
What is your emergency?”
“I—I need to
re—report a rape.” Kat stuttered, her voice quaking.
“Ma’am, are you
in a safe place?”
“Uh—I’m in my
apartment.”
“Is your
attacker there with you?”
“No, I—I don’t
think so.”
“Ma’am, I have
an officer on the way. I need you to stay on the line with me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“What is your
name?” the operator began.
“Katarina Richards-Brennan.”
Kat Richards met
Michael Brennan six years ago at the community pool at their apartment complex.
The Commons was the largest, privately-owned, gated apartment district on the
south side of Charltonville and was home to over two-thousand residents. It was
an upscale community that allowed all of its renters to enjoy a living style
rarely found in typical rental living. The Commons was situated to provide
convenient access to work, shopping, entertainment, and transportation routes.
Its townhomes and apartments offered high-end living in one- to four-bedroom
suites. Inside, the homes offered lavish accommodations from sunken living
rooms with plush carpet to marbled bathrooms with whirlpool tubs.
In the
community, there were two outdoor pools with sundecks, four hydrotherapy spas,
one fully equipped state-of-the-art athletic club, a central park plaza with
garden seating, an entertainment room, and a business center with a conference
room that seated up to fifty people. Recently, the complex opened a mini mall of
retail stores that offered clothing, salon services, and fresh market
groceries. The Commons was considered a miniature city within the city of
Charltonville.
Kat had only
been living in her spacious one-bedroom apartment for one year before she met
Michael. She had been living in New York with her parents when she received a
lucrative job offer that required her to move south. While she missed her
parents greatly, Kat knew her new job was an opportunity that didn’t come
around often. She was a Junior Program Administrator for a manufacturing
company that built circuit boards for medical equipment.
Her most recent
contract was to design a circuit board using the latest technology that would
eventually be used in cat scans in major hospitals across the country. She
enjoyed the project immensely that she decided to pursue higher education in
Health Care Management through the online platform at the local university. Not
only would her advanced degree enable her to better understand the needs of the
medical industry, but it would open new doors of opportunity for professional
growth.