“I’d like to quit,” she admitted.
“How much more abuse can you take?” he pressed her.
“It’s not…it don’t hurt so bad when I’m in the middle of it,” she fumbled to explain.
“Okay,” Dr. Addams nodded. “How much longer do you think you can keep going on like this?”
“You ask that like I got a choice.”
His face reddened when he noticed her shiver. Dr. Addams immediately grabbed medical gown for her to cover herself.
“Thank you,” she said as she slid into it. “You think I’ve got a lot of career options,” she continued. “I didn’t graduate. My folks kicked me out when I got pregnant. The boy who knocked me up dumped me when he found out. Had to give my girl up for adoption because I knew I wouldn’t be able to take care of both of us, and I at least wanted to give her a chance.”
“There’re options of getting an edu—”
“I wasn’t exactly rolling in A’s in school, Doctor.”
“Maybe you don’t get a job for a year while you work on yourself,” he suggested. He caught the glare of Nurse Raskin as she passed by the doorway. He shut it gently before turning his full attention to his patient.
“I don’t got the money for that,” she confessed.
“Don’t got…how many times have you claimed you were the top earner?” he asked incredulously.
“That wasn’t some claim! I am Daddy’s Bottom Bitch!”
“Please don’t debase yourself with that term,” he implored her. He loathed the conviction she had made that statement with as well.
“Sorry, Doctor. I forget I’m not on the street and have to keep my hollerin’ down,” she said with humility. “But I am Daddy’s best girl. That’s why he gives me top clients like—”
“Please,” Addamns cut in. “Just…please don’t say that animal’s name. Not in front of me. Please.”
“I won’t,” she said with an encouraging smile.
“If you’re…what’s his name? His actual name. I’m not calling him Daddy.”
“It’s L—wait, no. You know, I’m not really sure. He goes by Reginald now, but me and the girls don’t think that’s his real name.”
“Regardless,” Addams said. “If you’re Reginald’s top earner, why aren’t you loaded? Why don’t you have enough to walk away if you want to.”
“Well,” she said as she stumbled for an answer, blushing while she searched for it. “That’s…that’s not the way this all works.”
“He keeps most of it,” he stated more than asked. She nodded. “And you’re okay with that?” She nodded again. “Even after…” his voice trailed off as he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He merely waved his hand up and down her body. “…he keeps sending you to have all that done to you?”
She nodded again. “Why?” It almost came out as a demand.
He believed the tear rolling down her cheek was born from a pain worse than anything that scumbag politician had done to her. But she forced herself to say it. The worst thing he could hear, but had always known was true.
“I love him.”