Chapter 18: Running Begins

**PRESENTLY

**BACK AT THE COTTAGE

"That was how I managed to escape him that night. If it hadn't been for Martha and Sammy, I wouldn't even be alive right now," Sharon told Peter.

"I'm so sorry that that happened to you," Peter was empathetic.

"What happened to Martha?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Sharon started to sob. The memories brought her so much pain. Peter moved to her side and embraced her in a warm hug trying his best to comfort her.

"I think we need a change of scenery. This house is way too dark and gloomy. How about we head into town for a little while? It might help to be around people and to do something more productive and distracting with ourselves instead of sitting in here reliving bad memories," he said with a smile.

Sharon wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled.

"That sounds like a good idea."

**BACK TO THREE YEARS AGO...

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Sammy dropped off Sharon at the hotel and wished her good luck before driving off. Sharon went up to Lily's room and knocked on her door.

Lily opened, surprised to see her friend here so late and in the physical state she was in.

"Sharon, what are you doing...?"

But before she could ask, Sharon passed out by the foot of the door.

"Sharon? Sharon? Oh my God. What happened to you?"

The next morning, Sharon woke up with a migraine. Her head felt like it was about to explode and her body was sore and tired. She could barely even move her limbs.

"Oh good, you're awake," Lily said and sat down beside her on the bed and gave her some water to drink. Sharon grabbed the water and drank so fast that she almost choked.

"Easy, Sharon, easy," Lily said and took the cup from her.

Sharon lay back but she realized that her wounds had been properly bandaged. She was worried that Lilly brought someone to take care of her wounds and that maybe she had called Addicus.

"Did you call him? Does he know I'm here?" She asked Lily frantically.

"Who are you talking about, Sharon?"

"Addicus!"

"No one knows you're here. I didn't call anyone. It was obvious that you were in trouble and I wanted to wait for you to wake up to tell me what was going on

before I did anything," she said and Sharon calmed down.

"Why are running from Addicus?" Lily asked.

"We were wrong about him, Lily. He's not the man we thought he was. He's a monster. I found out something, something terrible,"

Sharon told Lily everything; *what he had done to her parents and what he had done and tried to do to her.*

Lily couldn't believe it. It made absolutely no sense to her and it filled her with great sorrow.

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Meanwhile, Addicus was still trying to get Martha to tell him where Sharon was but the older woman was reluctant and relentlessly withheld the information, despite the torture she was being subjected to.

"Just tell me where she is, Martha and this can all come to an end," Addicus said trying to get her to tell him.

Martha's face was covered in blood and she was tied to a chair. Addicus' men had been beating her to get her to spill the beans.

"Are you really willing to die for her? Just tell me where she is and all this can stop," Addicus tried to manipulate her.

"I... saw, what you did to her. I will never tell you where she is. You'll never hurt her again," Martha retorted.

"So, she told you about her parents? I see."

Addicus got up and said to one of his men, "Go to Martha's home and kill her entire family,"

Martha was livid. She loved Sharon but was she willing to lose her own children to protect her?

"Ok, sir," JJ replied and was about to depart to carry out the heinous act when Martha began to beg Addicus to spare her family because they were innocent and didn't know anything about this.

"You know what you have to do to save your family, Martha. So, what's it going to be? Sharon or your entire family?"

**************

Sharon was finally able to stand up without Lily's help. She was still very bruised but needed to prepare her things. She knew Addicus had the resources to locate her fast so she had to leave the city before he did.

"Are you sure about this? You said the only people who knew you were here can be trusted. If that's the case, then he can't find you here. You don't have to leave, at least not so soon," Lily didn't want her friend to go.

"I have to, Lily. He will find me eventually and my presence here puts you in danger. He wants to kill me because I found out the truth. If he knows that I told you about it, he'll try to kill you too and I can't let that happen.

"I need some money if I'm to leave the city," Sharon realized.

Lilly ran to a cabinet and brought out an envelope filled with dollars.

"Here, take this," she handed it to Sharon.

"I can't accept this, Lily. You'll need it for when you get the designing job. How will you get to France without it?" She asked.

"I'll find a way. You need this more than I do so just take it and go," Lily insisted.

"I can't take this, Lily and I don't have to. I have some money in the bank. It's the money that I made from selling my paintings. I can just rush out to the bank and get it,"

"But, you're still hurt. Maybe I should go for you," Lily offered.

"I have to be the one to go. My signature is needed to make the withdrawal,"

Sharon got up and was ready to head to the bank.

"Be careful, Sharon," Lily said.

"Don't worry. I'll be back in no time," Sharon replied.