"It had some unique qualities.”
"Look, I haven’t talked to my father in quite a long time. I don't know what was going on with his life, and I don't really care. As far as I'm concerned, whoever took him out did the world a favor. He was a rapist and a pedophile.”
Hailey didn't mince words.
"I understand you've made some pretty serious allegations against your father.”
Her jaw tightened. "They're not allegations. They’re facts! I know what happened. I have vivid memories of the incident. Multiple incidents. No one is ever going to convince me otherwise.”
"Otherwise?”
"My mother doesn’t want to acknowledge what happened. That would make her culpable. How could she not know what was going on? She can stick her head in the sand and pretend it didn't happen, but it doesn't change the fact that I was abused. My life is ruined. How can I ever expect to have a normal life after something like that? It affects everything. My self-esteem, my personal relationships, you name it.”
Hailey looked like she was on the verge of a meltdown, and I couldn’t say that I blamed her.
"It just sickens me that nobody ever did anything. Nobody's going to do anything now. What can be done now? He's dead. Good riddance. Maybe, just maybe, if there is a God, my father is suffering in hell for what he did.”
The story was heartbreaking if true.
"You know what it's like having the whole world adore a man that you know is a monster? All because he won several football championships. He gets away with murder. The rules didn't apply to him.”
"You mean theaccident?”
"Can you really call it an accident when someone intentionally drinks themselves into a stupor and gets behind the wheel? That's not an accident. That is stupidity. That is negligence.” Her jaw tightened with frustration. "And you people didn't do a damn thing!”
I kept my mouth shut and didn't mention we weren’t the arresting officers and had nothing to do with it. If I recall, that incident took place in Pineapple Bay.
With wide eyes and skin slick with sweat, Hailey went on. She looked like she'd already guzzled a pot of coffee, maybe two. "I feel horrible for those people. I'm ashamed of my last name.”
"When was the last time you saw your father?”
"Like I mentioned, it's been a while. I think I've seen him only a handful of times since he started dating that gold digger. And that's just fine by me. I was totally okay if I never saw him again.” A sardonic smile curled her plump lips. “Now I don't have to.”
She stood strong, but her eyes began to mist.
It was easy to see she had conflicting feelings about her father. Sometimes we mourn the loss of the relationship thatcouldhave been. It was moments like these when I was extraordinarily grateful for the time and relationship I had with my own parents.
“I understand you’re in counseling about theincident?”
“Incident?” she said, incensed. “Abuse. Let’s call it what it is.”
“Certainly.”
Hailey glared at me. “Did my mother tell you I was in therapy?”
“She mentioned something.”
“Well, it’s nobody’s business.”
“Is it helping?”
She looked at me like I was crazy. “I wouldn’t keep going if it wasn’t helping.” She paused and swallowed. “It’s been painful at times, but it’s given me tools to see the truth and find ways to deal with it.”
“Tools?”
“I’d rather not discuss specifics.”
“Has your therapist prescribed any medication?”
