"At first it started off with him just touching me every now and then," Shelley said and cried. Dan Armstrong handed her his handkerchief and she wiped her tears into it. "Did you tell Mr. Larkin that you didn't like it when he did that?" he asked her.

"Yes but then he told me it didn't matter because no one would believe me if I told because I'm not very nice anyway and he was one of the nicest guys in town and I always thought I was too good for him. That's sort of true but I didn't really deserve to have him…" she trailed off and cried hysterically.

"It's okay Shelley. It's a good thing you are coming clean now instead of continuing to let him hurt you." Shelley wiped her face with the handkerchief again. This was going better then she thought. She looked behind the scenes and saw how shocking and moving her story was to everyone. The station manger was actually crying.

"When did things go further then him just touching you?"

"One day he had followed me home after the show claiming he just wanted to say how sorry he was for touching me inappropriately. I believed him so I let him in to apologize but then the next thing I knew he was coming on to me telling how bad I wanted him. Then he forced himself on me right in my own living room!" She cried hysterically.

"And to think we always thought Link Larkin was a nice boy but he's really not. How many times has he done this to you?" Dan said feeling really bad for her.

"More times then I can count I'm afraid. He also passed me this horrible letter in class telling me what sexual positions he wanted to do with me and things like that. He was constantly stuffing nude pictures of himself in my locker and that was before he started raping me. He also used to make me skip third period so I can perform oral sex on him. He said if I didn't do it he would make Velma Von Tussle, who was his girlfriend's mom, fire me from the show."

"And now that you don't have to worry about that anymore because of Ms. Von Tussle's arrest you decided to finally come clean," he said practically telling the story for her. She nodded in agreement.

"You are very brave, Ms. Atkins not many girls would be willing to go on live television and tell the truth like this. What do you parents think?" Shelley was scared for the first time that day. Her parents had no clue that she was doing this. She imagined one of her mom's friends called her away from the fundraiser she was attending to tell her that her daughter was on television pouring her heart out and now she was watching with tears in her eyes because she was feeling bad for not paying more attention to her.

"I haven't told them. I was afraid." She said and looked down.

"I understand Shelley. So why…" The station manager waved her hands frantically at him. Then he said "Why don't we take a break and get back with some more of your story." The show went to commercial. Dan got out of his seat and Shelley attempted to go to the restroom when the station manager walked up to her. "You didn't tell anyone that you hadn't told your parents about this Shelley! We could get in trouble for this!" the woman who looked the exact opposite of Velma Von Tussle told her but she kind of had the same attitude without the obnoxious bitch daughter by her side of course.

"I'm sorry but I was so scared," she whined.

"It's okay we can get around that. You know Shelley's dad is very important in this town so I'm sure we can get around this one imperfection." The producer walked up and told the station manager.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him. This woman was clearly clueless to the fact that her dad was a big real estate developer and also owned several businesses in this crumby town. He explained this to her and she backed down. They were back on the air in a few seconds and Dan sat back in his seat and Shelley in hers. "We are back with Shelley Atkins who was telling us about how she was being sexually assaulted behind the glitz and glamour of the Corny Collins show. I bet you are happy now that you are letting this all come out aren't you Shelley?"

"You have no idea." She responded with a smile. She was glad. Link Larkin's reputation in Baltimore was now officially tarnished. He might as well dig a hole and bury himself in it.

She cried and talked for about ten more minutes before the show was finally over. Dan shook her hand and thanked her for her story. She should be thanking him for helping her destroy Link Larkin, though. She grabbed her things to leave when she spotted Neil, her family's limo driver, approaching her.

"Neil what are you doing here? I have my car here so I can drive myself home" she told him.

"Your mother is outside in the limo she wants you to ride with her." He informed her. Shelley had no idea her mother would come up here to look for her. She didn't want to deal with her right now. She wanted to go home and call Link to tell him they were even. She reluctantly followed Neil outside and let him open the door to the black limousine. Her mother was sitting there dressed in her evening gown crying. She immediately hugged Shelley. "Oh Michelle! Why didn't you tell me what was going on? I was getting ready to go to the fundraiser when Deanna called and told me you were on that show. I had no idea what was happening to you!" she said. Shelley hated that her mom insisted on calling her Michelle instead of Shelley like everyone else did but that was minor compared to what her mom thought.

"Mom, it's okay. I'm fine now. I got it all out and everything is going to be okay," she said trying to get her mom to calm down but she knew it wouldn't work. She hated this whole thing had her mom in such a frenzy.

"No it's not okay. That boy raped you Michelle and in our home! You have to do something about it!" her mom said with her arms still around her.

"I already did mom. I came out with the truth. He'll be fired from the show and no one will ever look at him the same way again." Which is exactly what I wanted, Shelley added to herself.

"No sweetie it's not enough." Her mom said stroking her red hair.

"Are you heading home Mrs. Atkins?" Neil asked her as he sat in the front seat.

"No Neil we are going to the Baltimore Police department. Please take us there."

"Police department?" Shelley asked shocked.

"Yes Michelle. You are going to tell them exactly what you just told Dan Armstrong and you are going to press charges against him. That boy is not going to get away with raping my daughter! It's going to be okay Michelle. I'll be by your side throughout this horrible ordeal." Her mom said and held her closer. Shelley didn't know what to say. She couldn't say no because what girl wouldn't want her rapist behind bars? But the story was completely false! She wanted to get back at Link but she didn't want to go this far with it! She had started something and now she had to watch it play out.