5
The trauma from my childhood left me with a severe case of PTSD. When my mind isn’t clear-when I’m dru
nk, or delirious with fever-I become a cornered animal.
Anyone who comes near me, except for Harris, I will attack like a wild beast.
It had happened before, on a business dinner with Mr. Davies. A client saw I was drunk and tried to get han
dsy. I grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it over his head. When others tried to intervene, I fought them of
too.
I guess I was terrified of being beaten by traffickers again. After Harris was rescued, the first thing he did wa
hire a boxing coach for both of us. Boxing, Krav Maga, Taekwondo-we mastered every form of self-defense
he could find.
That night, every person who tried to “save” the client from me ended up on the floor. I became infamous
Mr. Davies rarely took me to dinners after that. He was afraid I’d start a brawl.
Hearing me say I was drunk, he finally hesitated. He squinted at my flushed, unfocused face and reconsider.
“Are you still lucid? Go home, now. Don’t wait. If you completely lose it, my assistant won’t even dare get
near you to drive you home. You’ll end up sleeping on the street.”
I nodded, my head splitting.
Mr. Davies called his driver to bring the car around. As I stood waiting by the curb, my vision started to blur.
He panicked. “Stella, hang on! Don’t pass out. If you pass out, don’t blame me for running. I am not getting beaten up by you. I’ve never seen a woman fight like you-you’re a savage.” He held up his hand. “Look at my fingers. How many am I holding up?”
I stared at his waving hand, trying to count. “Three?” I guessed. “Or maybe four?”
In the next second, Mr. Davies leaped backward, putting a good fifteen feet between us as if I were a veno-
mous snake.
He started muttering to himself. “It’s over. You’re sleeping on the street tonight. My driver’s life is precious too. Why did you have to drink? So what if his assistant said a few words to you? This is the business world, you have to have thicker skin than that.” He paced back and forth. “No, this is an emergency. Don’t move. I’m going to get Mr. Croft. He has a lot of bodyguards with him tonight. They all look tough. Maybe they can subdue you and get you home safely.”
I couldn’t really hear what he was saying anymore. I felt awful. I crouched by the side of the road, wanting to throw up but couldn’t. And I desperately wanted to cry.
I had seen Harris tonight. I had heard everyone call me his long-lost love.
Not even in my wildest dreams had I ever heard anyone say that.
