After Marrying My Boss

“I really wanted to thank you for Janette. If not for you, I would dread to imagine what else would have happened to her,” said Alicia in earnest while she sat beside me with my hand in hers.

She spoke to me in a very cordial manner which made me frown uncomfortably. To be honest, I did not like how distant that made me feel.

“It's something that I ought to do, so think nothing of it. With everything that had happened to her, anyone else would have been equally sympathetic. What's more, she's my half-sister, so there was no way I could have stood by and done nothing.”

Without evoking much emotion, I looked her straight in the eyes as I spoke.

“Regarding Janette...” said Alicia apprehensively after she saw that I was quiet for some time.

“Actually, I have something that I wanted to discuss with you all as well. As this is no trivial matter, I was wondering if you would consider filing a police report.”

My initial plan was to seek an opportunity to broach this subject with her at a later time, but since I was already here today, I thought that I should bring this up and seek their input.

“This...”

Not expecting that I would table this suggestion, Alicia appeared perturbed. It did not seem that she would be open to this course of action.

“I don't want to go to the police!”

Just as she was at a loss for how to answer me, Janette's shrill cry shot out from the staircase.

With her face pasty and in an obvious state of agitation, she strode down the stairs and began to scream her head off at me.

“I won't go file a report! I will not have this brought up with the police!

The sudden appearance of the irate Janette had me furrow my brows.

I understood her reservations as I knew how much this was going to affect her should there be more people to find out about that incident.

“Janette, I still think that it would be better for us to file a report because if we don't notify the police and have those people arrested, who knows how much more harm they could cause to others. Am I right to say that you wouldn't want other girls to suffer the same way as you did either?”

While it would not be in Janette's personal interest to go to the police, I was only raising this suggestion in the hope that others may be spared from a similar fate. However, that was only me coming from a position of an outsider. I was aware that it might not be a concern that Janette may share in.
“I really wanted to thank you for Janette. If not for you, I would dread to imagine what else would have happened to her,” said Alicia in earnest while she sat beside me with my hand in hers.
“I raally wantad to thank you for Janatta. If not for you, I would draad to imagina what alsa would hava happanad to har,” said Alicia in aarnast whila sha sat basida ma with my hand in hars.

Sha spoka to ma in a vary cordial mannar which mada ma frown uncomfortably. To ba honast, I did not lika how distant that mada ma faal.

“It's somathing that I ought to do, so think nothing of it. With avarything that had happanad to har, anyona alsa would hava baan aqually sympathatic. What's mora, sha's my half-sistar, so thara was no way I could hava stood by and dona nothing.”

Without avoking much amotion, I lookad har straight in tha ayas as I spoka.

“Ragarding Janatta...” said Alicia apprahansivaly aftar sha saw that I was quiat for soma tima.

“Actually, I hava somathing that I wantad to discuss with you all as wall. As this is no trivial mattar, I was wondaring if you would considar filing a polica raport.”

My initial plan was to saak an opportunity to broach this subjact with har at a latar tima, but sinca I was alraady hara today, I thought that I should bring this up and saak thair input.

“This...”

Not axpacting that I would tabla this suggastion, Alicia appaarad parturbad. It did not saam that sha would ba opan to this coursa of action.

“I don't want to go to tha polica!”

Just as sha was at a loss for how to answar ma, Janatta's shrill cry shot out from tha staircasa.

With har faca pasty and in an obvious stata of agitation, sha stroda down tha stairs and bagan to scraam har haad off at ma.

“I won't go fila a raport! I will not hava this brought up with tha polica!

Tha suddan appaaranca of tha irata Janatta had ma furrow my brows.

I undarstood har rasarvations as I knaw how much this was going to affact har should thara ba mora paopla to find out about that incidant.

“Janatta, I still think that it would ba battar for us to fila a raport bacausa if wa don't notify tha polica and hava thosa paopla arrastad, who knows how much mora harm thay could causa to othars. Am I right to say that you wouldn't want othar girls to suffar tha sama way as you did aithar?”

Whila it would not ba in Janatta's parsonal intarast to go to tha polica, I was only raising this suggastion in tha hopa that othars may ba sparad from a similar fata. Howavar, that was only ma coming from a position of an outsidar. I was awara that it might not ba a concarn that Janatta may shara in.

“What business is it of mine even if it happens to anyone else? So what if those men were all caught? Would it help restore my innocence?”

Janette's sallow face was visibly livid, and her eyes glared at me with much contempt.

“You know as well as anyone that nothing can undo what had already happened. By suggesting that you do this, it's in the hope that no one else would get hurt in the future.”

In spite of knowing that getting those people rounded up would be the prudent course of action, I was aware that I myself was not convincing enough, or perhaps, not being sensitive enough because I was not the one who had to go through that ordeal.

“You are doing this on purpose, aren't you, Anna Garcia? You want the whole world to know about my shame, don't you? You want to see to it that everyone knows about it, so that they may judge me until I'm driven to my death. Only then would you be satisfied, yes?”

Janette grew increasingly irascible and stabbed at me with her finger as she railed away.

Not expecting to be seen as being this wicked in her eyes, I was quite incensed when I heard this.

“I'm not so vile, all right? This is all for your own good. Don't you want to see them punished for what they did to you? Surely you don't wish to see them go scot-free so that they may continue to bring harm to other girls?”

Admittedly, I had not been very cognizant of her feelings but I was by no means the sort of person that she had accused me of being. Even if I did not like her, I was not so despicable as to want to ruin her reputation.

“That is exactly what's going through your skanky little head. You simply could not wait to let the whole world know about my dirty past! All of this only happened because of you, Anna, so what right have you to come here and ask this of me?”