“I need a minute,” I whisper, then mute the line and pace my office. She’d said the words—the words no one ever said to me before. She said that Landon raped me, like it’s true. Like she believes me. This was someone else speaking my truth.
All I ever heard was, “Stop lying about Landon.”
I sit down and unmute. “I’m back.”
“Are you okay?” Her voice is soft, like she knows how to talk to someone like me.
“Yes.” I’m private; I don’t reveal much. But this woman makes me feel less burdened, so I tell her. “No one has ever said that he raped me. You’re the first person to....”
“I’m so sorry, Sarah.” She waits a beat and adds, “Survivors tell me that when they’re not believed, it’s like they’re assaulted again.”
My throat goes dry. She’s right. That’sexactlyhow it feels.
“What…do you want from me, Marnie?”
“I want your story,” she says gently. “But more than that, I want you to know you’re not alone.”
Pressure builds, sharp and crushing, until I can hardly breathe.
“You said there were others.” My voice is thin, fragile.
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“I have spoken to eight other women. But there are more.”
Eight. Oh God.
I hug myself to stop from shaking. “How many more?”
“I’d say twice as many. I’m still investigating.”
“How can people not know what he’s doing?”
“Landon Mercer is powerful. There are NDAs, hush money, threats—various ways to silence victims.”
It feels unreal, like I’m in an episode of a TV show.
“No one has…threatened me.”
A long sigh. “Once they find out you’re talking to me, they might.”
I lean back and close my eyes. “They might or they will?”
“They will.” There is no hesitation from her. This isn’t her first rodeo.
“If you have eight women already…why talk to me?”
I’m getting a stress headache. My skin feels tight.
“Only two of them will go on the record, and I need more to make the story credible, so my editors will publish,” she explains softly.
“What…what do they say about Landon?”
“I can’t share their stories, Sarah. You understand that.”
“Yes.” It’s a relief she won’t blab, but it also makes me feel worse because I’ve got nothing to hold on to.
