[COMPLETED] When down on her luck, Abby Redding lands a position as the personal assistant for wealthy businessman Alex Carter, her first assignment is to fix up his new cabin in a remote town.
Things don't go as planned when an unsolved murder and...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
For Abby, routine had become something she relied on. Every Wednesday night she would attend group therapy sessions at the local community center. The free pamphlets given out to first-time attendees referred to it as the Abuse Victim Awareness group. Abby looked at the other members, each in various stages of therapy. Collectively, they were like a giant discolored bruise, blotchy from healing at different rates of speed.
She was sitting next to a tall redhead named Rose.
"You look good today, Abby," Rose said, gesturing towards Abby's outfit.
Abby self-consciously patted down her black suit. "Thank you. I had a job interview today."
Abby couldn't help but remember feeling so inadequate when she had compared herself to Felicia, Alex Carter's secretary. To the women in this group, her plain black dress-suit and cheap shoes were fancy.
"A job interview?" Rose grinned. "That's good since you're so smart. More so than the rest of us, anyway. I'm real proud of you, Abby."
A small smile tugged at Abby's lips. "Thanks, Rose."
"Okay, ladies and gentleman." Jason, the group's leader and therapist, clapped his hands together which meant it was time for the meeting to begin. "Just a reminder, everything we share in the group is confidential. This is a safe circle. Does anyone have any news to share?"
Nervous glances quietly darted around the room. When no one spoke up Rose winked at Abby and said loudly, "Abby had a job interview today."
Polite murmurs of congratulations floated towards Abby who slightly ducked her head. "Yeah, I actually got the job."
Jason quieted everyone and smiled. "That's great news, Abby. How does it feel to have a new job?"
How does it feel?
"If I'm being honest, I really needed this job. After I graduated college, I always imagined having a career but then Bryce happened." Abby's fingers twisted amongst one another as she spoke. It was something that always happened when she spoke of Bryce. "He was so adamant about me not having to work. At first, I thought I was lucky to have a boyfriend who'd take care of me. I didn't even realize I had come to depend on him so much until it was too late."
"Having a job now must feel pretty empowering," Jason noted.
An internal glow warmed her. "It does."
"You're brave Abby," Luis, a man in his twenties, whispered. "I'd be too afraid my boyfriend would make a scene at my place of work. When I worked at McDonald's, my boyfriend used to come in pretending to be an irate customer. After he got his food, he'd yell at the manager to fire me for getting his order wrong. After we broke up, he continued to bother me at work until I started working from home."
A few empathetic comments were tossed at Luis who held them close to his heart.
"I'm not afraid of that happening," Abby answered. "Bryce...he never went to my jobs and I'm sure he won't bother me again."
