Then they will ask why they didn’t say anything.
Why didn’t you tell someone?
Why didn’t you ask for help?
Why didn’t you leave him?
Why didn’t you respect yourself enough to get away?
The women usually crumple, shed their flesh shells, and become quivering living dead girls, trapped. A few will say that no one listens, that people don’t want to see, and that if you try something, anything, you won’t suffer but others will.
The audience always boos and says You Should Have Done Something. You should have fought back. You should have known no one has that kind of power. You should have been strong.
You shouldn’t have been so stupid.
The women nod and sniffle. They are still broken. They still agree with everything anyone wants. Even the ones who try to explain end up with their heads down, their hands in their laps. Little girl ready to say she’s sorry.
All our fault, always.