Not my problem

(Author's note: Warning for victim blaming.)

'You still sure you wanna do this?'

'Yep. It has to be worth trying.'

'Look, I know you ain't been around here as long as the rest of us, but you know what Susannah Landry is, right?'

'Yeah... And it disgusts me, but even so.'

'Right, so we're talkin' about a woman who profits off other women bein' abused.'

'I know, but it doesn't mean she should be abused either. You were saying to Jude that we should get her safe. She said so...'

'That was before I knew who her ma was. I ain't sayin' she don't deserve help, but I also don't think she's gonna be very sympathetic to you. I'm sayin', that kinda shit probably happens to her girls all the time, yet she still thinks it's okay to carry on pimpin' them out.'

'Yeah, but-'

'And, I don't wanna scare you, but she's likely gonna tell Austin about it once you've been, and then what? He might wanna start shit again. Now I ain't gonna let him do nothin' to you, but-'

'He might already be hurting her. Since he's been in Sunset Valley, he's already hurt at least two other women, as well as trying it with me!'

'Yet Susannah didn't believe her own daughter when she told her about it!'

'Jude is still worried about her mum, you know. She still wants to make sure she's safe.'

'Nyla, you're too nice, but this ain't worth it. It ain't gonna achieve anything, and it's just gonna piss him off. You don't need to go over there, risk seein' him, and upsettin' yourself by makin' yourself remember all the ways he used to hurt you. Would it have even helped you, if some girl came along and told you about him, when you used to be together?'

'It might have! If it'd been soon enough, before he had the chance to wear me down...'

'Just sayin', your own ma couldn't get through to you when it was you, could she? Would a stranger have made any kinda difference?'

'...Yeah, well, I was an idiot.'

'No, you weren't. You were scared, and vulnerable, and trapped.'

'And Susannah might be, too. What about Brianne? She's a bitch too, but the others still pressed on, and it looks like it's finally making a difference!' 

'Brianne's a bitch, but she ain't a brothel madam who threw out her own kid onto the street.'

'I'd hope not, since they're only four.'

'Nyla. Look, if you're that set on it, I'll go with you and support you, okay? Don't think I'm trying to order you around, or nothin'. Just don't want you gettin' hurt again.'

'If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. It's just that there's no-one else who can even try. Jude shouldn't have to go back there, I can't bring along Roza because there's way too much history there, and it'd probably end in a fight, nobody from the gang can really do it since they're all meant to be on the same side as Austin... Even you don't need to go.'

'Fuck that, if Austin's there, I gotta at least go so I can put myself in between you. Knock his fuckin' head off if it comes to it.'

'Yeah, well, if Austin is there, we're turning around and going home.'

'Damn right. Let's get this shit over with, then.'

'Hi...?'

'Susannah, hi. This is Nyla. She wanted to come talk to you 'bout Austin. So, if he's in there with you, we're goin' home and comin' back another time.'

'Okay...? No, he's not in. What's all this about?'

'Hi. Can we come in? We won't stay long, I just need to tell you some things about him...'

'...Fine, I suppose.'

'So go on then, what is it you have to say?'

'I'm Austin's ex-girlfriend. We've been split up a long time now, but when I heard you were dating him, I felt like I had to say something.'

'Right...?'

'He was completely awful to me. It started out good, at first, but then as time went by, he started behaving worse and worse. Jealous, controlling... and then he started hitting me. Susannah, he's a total bully. He made my life hell.'

'Really? When were you together?'

'I left him nearly ten years ago now. But we were together a good five years. Lived together, everything... it was serious.'

'You didn't live in Sunset Valley then, did you?'

'No, Bridgeport. I moved over a while back, and I guess he's come over a lot more recently. I heard he's part of the gang now...'

'That's right.'

'I really had to come warn you about him. I'm guessing he hasn't started any of this with you yet, but it'll come. He wore me down to a shadow of my former self. Had me doing all kinds of things I didn't want to do, and threatening me if I didn't. He hasn't changed a bit, either. When he found out I was here, he found me and tried to start again...'

'When did he do that?'

'A couple of months ago.'

'Okay... but why are you telling me this, exactly?'

'Because she don't want it happenin' to you too?'

'Why? I'm a complete stranger to her. Why would she care?'

'I know what it feels like, and I don't want another woman going through his abuse...'

'Listen, I get what you're trying to do, but do I look like the kind of woman who'd let a man do that to her?'

'Hey, she didn't let him do shit-'

'If he was that bad, why did she stay with him?'

'You're really gonna pull that bullshit? Like you don't know how it works?'

'No, you're right, I don't. Because I have far too much self-respect to be bullied by anyone, let alone my own boyfriend.'

'So what, you think you're above it all?'

'I'm sorry, Stanley, but Nyla's obvious self esteem issues aren't my problem.'

'You're sayin' it ain't your problem if Austin starts tryin' any of that shit with you?'

'Oh, he knows he's got it far too good with me to do anything like that.'

'You don't care that he used to beat another woman?!'

'I'm just wondering what it is you did to make him act like that towards you when he's never wanted to ever treat me like that.' 

'Hey, you shut the fuck up! Don't you dare make out like it's her fault!'

'...You're right, Stan, this was a waste of time. Let's just go.'

'You know where the door is.'

'You're a piece of shit, Susannah. Known that a long time, from what you do to the way you treated your own damn daughter. Don't give a shit 'bout other women bein' hurt as long as you're fine, huh?'

'Oh, please, don't act like Jude is some innocent victim. Last I heard, she was running with Seth Masters and working for him, beating the shit out of people in the ring! You want violent, look no further than her.'

'Yeah, whatever. There's no reasonin' with people like you.'

'Don't be making too much trouble, now, or I think Austin and Blake might have something to say about it.'

'Kiss my fucking ass, you vile bitch.'