Chapter 7

Pauline and Pen knew that if they had to be in a hurry to find Muse because their time was running out. As for Muse, she was already enjoying living with her new hosts. She felt more and more reassured alongside Clara and Flore. However, she knew it was only for a while. Because all or not, she would have to say why she had run away from home. Besides, she had to go back to school. After keeping Muse for a week at home, Clara was about to ask her more about her family and the reason why she had escaped. She had waited this long because she wanted Muse to gain confidence and feel comfortable in her house. Otherwise, she could run away again. Since the outside is undermined by not very sharp people, so she couldn't risk Muse leaving home feeling cornered. So she decided to talk to her at the end of the week spent at home. "My darling, do you trust me?" "Yes." Muse replied in a small voice. She knew she would have to go through this interrogation that Clara was preparing to subject her to. "So you have to tell me why you fled your house. You know that legally I am not allowed to keep you in my house since you are a minor. So I could be sued. And then as a mother, I can know that your parents must be dying of worry right now. " Clara introduced. "Believe me ma'am, they don't give a fuck." Clara didn't know how to approach Muse. She might wonder what was bothering her, but she was far away from imagining what the teenager was going through at home. She gave hed a look full of solicitude. "Sweetie, talk to me please. I want to help you, but if you don't tell me what's bothering you, I won't be able to help you." Like any answer, Muse started weeping. She was began shivering as she remembered her ordeal. Clara let her release her pain through tears. After having cried a lot, she finally decided to open her heart to Clara. "I don't want to go home anymore." "Why dear?" Clara asked wondering. "Because ... Pen is going to rape me again. It hurts here too much." She said, touching her crotch. Clara was stunned by the confession of the young teenager. Even in the worst-case scenario, she would never have imagined what Muse was going through. The young woman gasped. "My angel, has this Pen abused you?" Clara asked with a heavy heart. Muse nodded with tears streaming down her cheeks. "And why don't you tell your parents?" "I live with my uncle and he is away all the time. His wife doesn't believe me at all when I tell her what Pen is doing to me. He made sure that if I betray him, it will be my word against his." "He's cynical that sick man! We'll take him at his own game." Clara exclaimed stunned. "What can we do?" "First, we'll go to the hospital to get a medical certificate to prove that you have been actually raped. Then we'll go see your principal to call your uncle. He's the one to take care of the rest. OK?" Clara explained her strategy to Muse, who listened to her religiously. She nodded and replied "OK!" She had at least a hope of seeing the end of the tunnel. She hoped that this was finally a thing of the past and couldn't wait to get back to normal life. The following Monday, Clara took her to the hospital to establish the medical certificate. The gynecologist was outraged by the condition of her vagina. He prescribed her products to take in order to avoid infections. The next day, Clara accompanied Muse to school so that she could speak to the principal. Muse's main teacher was also there. Clara told them about the situation. They were in shock when they heard this. They couldn't believe it at all. The headmaster immediately called Muse's uncle. He asked him to come quickly to school. But her uncle being in another city, this was not possible. He asked the principal to call his wife, much to Muse's dismay. About an hour later, Pauline arrived at school. Seeing Muse, she pretended to be happy to see her again and ran to her. "Oh Muse honey! I was worried about you. Where have you been all this time? Will you give me a heart attack?" She was playing so well that Muse was amazed. If she didn't know Pauline so well, she would have put her hand in the fire that she was really worried about her. Pauline came to take Muse in her arms but the latter was stiff and showed no emotion to see her. "What happened? Where have you been?" Pauline asked in a row as Muse was saying nothing. She said to herself what a hypocrite she was, Pauline. "Madam, your daughter is going through hell with you and you seem to be unaware of it ?!" Muse's teacher intervened seeing her silence. Pauline glared at Muse. She told herself that Muse had told her teacher about his abuse of her. "How's she going through hell? This kid is just telling lies to discredit me. You are not ashamed to dirty me after all I have done for you by taking you out of the bush where you lived? I allowed to you access to school ... "Pauline began to play the victim. Muse didn't move a single iota in front of her aunt. Everyone who was there was watching Pauline uttering these stupidities. The principal cut her short. "But what are you talking about? Your daughter is a good child who hasn't even tried to accuse you of anything. You are the one who are fussing over me into believing that she must be going through a trauma at home " Pauline was ashamed of the headmaster's words. She was panicking at the point that she started talking nonsense and betraying herself. "But no! Muse is treated well. She misses nothing. That's why I'm so astonished to learn that she's going through hell at home." Pauline shamelessly lied. "Well, you have to know that your daughter is being raped by your guest." Said the principal. "What?!" Pauline exclaimed not coming back from her ears. "You're playing a dirty trick on me, aren't you?" She resumed in shock. "Not at all. Muse told us that a man you host named Pen raped her twice. It was the night of the second time she ran away. This medical certificate proves that she was raped " Clara who was also present explained to Muse's stepmother. She also handed the document to her. She looked into the document and everything was clear. Suddenly her thoughts fly to the day that she had seen Muse's sheet spotted with blood. She also remembered that Muse was begging her to let her with the keys to her room because Pen had been there at night. She then slapped Muse. She suddenly became ashamed in front of all these people. "Thanks for calling me. I assure you the thug will pay for this heinous act." Pauline's gaze seemed sincere when she said it. Muse had some hope that she would defend her against her lover. Pauline suggested that Muse go home with her, but she preferred to remain and come home after class. She did come home in the afternoon, but found neither her stepmother nor Pen. She entered her room and found it as she had left it. She began to tidy up and changed her sheets. When she got finished, Amy came over and called her, telling her that her mother was waiting for her in the living room. She went downstairs and found Pen sitting next to Pauline. He was staring at her with a mean look as she came down the stairs. She came to them and greeted them politely. Pauline spoke and addressed Pen "How are you not ashamed to sleep with a child and abuse her under my own roof?" Pen, who did not know what had happened in the meantime, began to drip with heavy cold sweats.