Page 104 of Offensive Plays

Jonah doesn’t say anything.

“Is that true, Jo?”

He looks to my mother who gives him a stern look. “Don’t.”

Jonah breaks down. “I didn’t want to do it.”

“Do what, Jo?”

“Jonah, stop it,” mother cries out.

“I didn’t want to drive her there. She didn’t want it either.”

“Constance, what is he talking about?” My father asks behind me.

My mother tugs her sheer shawl closer to her body. “I had him do the only thing that made since. To protect him from her. To protect our family from her.”

“You… made Libby get an abortion?” Jonah looks tortured but he nods.

“And you forced him to do it,” I point to my mom.

“I did, what I had to do. To protect us,” she cries out.

I shake my head. “I can’t believe you. You stand there, every Sunday and proclaim mercy and compassion and all the while you forced an eighteen year old girl to do something she didn’t want to do!”

My mother opens her mouth but it’s my father’s voice that rings out. “What have you done, woman!?”

“She would’ve ruined him, Dan. Then what would’ve become of your precious church. Tell me, what would’ve happened?”

“I can’t… I can’t believe this.” I back away from them.

“Michael,” my mom cries out.

“Enough, Constance. You leave that boy alone,” I hear my dad shout.

I run as fast as I can to get to Libby. To hold her. I had no idea what my family had done. And my heart is breaking for the woman I love.

But when I get to the car. She’s not there.

I open my texts.

Me

Libby. Please, where are you?

Chapter 32

Libby

Atext comes through on my phone and I don’t know whether or not I should answer it.

Or whether I have the energy to pick it up.

My sobs wrack through my body and it takes everything in me to even breathe. This is what I’ve been dreading.

This truth.

But unlike Mrs. Ferguson and her stupid non-disclosure agreement insinuated… I wasn’t the one to let the secret out.