Gossip

What You Heard

"What an awful man"

"Did you hear how he treated her?"

"I heard something, it's no wonder what she did"

"Yeah, did you see him, he said that she gave him that black eye and stabbed him, she would never do that. She is such a good quiet soul and is at mass every Sunday. Father Jack says she is a saint because she does so much good and is so kind to people"

"She should kick him out, I'd kill him for what he has done"

"He always looks terrible, what the hell is she still with him, she could do so much better"

"Do you know he's been sacked from his last two jobs"

"He's obviously not very good for anything"

"Yeah I would never pay him for anything"

What Happened

The police and council were sick of the phone calls, but the possibility of domestic abuse could not be ignored or taken lightly. When they got there there were always signs of violence, broken plates, ornaments, and furniture, but after she was examined there were no bruises or signs of harm. She said that he abused her mentally which is why she broke things and attacked him. If he was there, he was the only one with bruises.

They asked if she wanted him taken away or did she want to go to a refuge. She would not pursue either option.

She also called his work to tell them he was being abusive resulting in disciplinary meetings and two eventual sackings, allowing her to take him to task about not having a job.

When people asked him about the cuts, bruises, and black eyes, he had always walked into a door or had some kind of accident, nothing specific. He knew no one would believe that she had attacked him. He was big and she was small.

She needed someone to clean and cook for her, and give her money, so he had to stay but he was fun to take advantage of, and she loved the sympathy she got from people she knew when she said how awful he was, and she knew the tales she told spread like wildfire.

She took all the benefits of being the way she was.

Concluding Statement

Only two people knew the truth and neither of those saw it in their best interests to let it out.