Cora
My life flashed before my eyes when that stupid mutt knocked me into the raging river that godawful day three years ago. The current swept me down stream until I managed to grab hold of a low hanging tree branch. Beaten and bruised, I pulled my broken body out of the water. I vowed that if I made it out of there alive, I would get even with Lucy. That’s when I saw him, a man fishing about forty feet away from me. I called out to him for help. He came running over and threw me over his shoulders and carried me back to his truck. I asked him not to take me to the local hospital. I had him drive me to one that was outside of a twenty-mile radius of the town we were in. He was reluctant at first and told me, “You don’t look like you’re doing too good.” I despised his terrible English skills. I told him I had an ex-boyfriend who was a doctor at a local hospital. My ex-boyfriend was obsessed with me and I was fearful that he would try to kill me if I wound up under his care. I said he had other doctor friends who would kill me for him and I didn’t feel safe. I played the damsel in distress card and he ate it up.
“I’m Cassandra, friends call me Cassie.” I figured he would end up asking me for my name, so I took control of the situation. “Well, Cassie, it’s sure nice to meet you. Name’s Ron,” he looked over at me and smiled. He was actually decently cute. A bit disheveled, but still, easy on the eyes. He didn’t leave my side at the hospital. I told him not to worry, I’d be fine if he left me, but the moron stood by me every step and needle prick of the way. I had several broken bones and when the nurse asked me what had happened, I told her my ex-boyfriend beat me to a pulp and his damn dog joined him. I made no mention of the river and to his credit, Ron didn’t bring it up, either. That’s when I knew he was loyal to his own detriment.
On the morning that the hospital finally discharged me, I wasn’t sure what I would do. I’m a tough woman with the life skills to handle situations like that. I proved it before and I could manage it again, but Ron took mercy on me and invited me to stay with him until I got back on my feet. I changed my hair from blonde to red and wore contacts that changed my eye color to blue. I dressed in flannel shirts and jeans and adopted a country accent. Ron ended up falling madly in love with me, of which I had no doubt . He was eager to please and did whatever I asked him to do. I was cognizant that I found my new puppet; the realization didn’t evade me.
His loyalty never faltered and I continued to feign mine. He was eating out of the palm of my hand. Men are easy. They’re all the same. I fed his ego. I encouraged him to pursue his dream and saw him through all of his ups and downs. I never left his side. Ron came home tonight excited about his day at work. He told me all about it, down to the last detail. I couldn’t have been more proud of the idiot. My heart swelled with happiness the more I heard. I gave him a big hug and whispered in his ear, “I love you, Detective Green.”
