Chapter 33- Crossing The Line
"How the hell do you know this? Did you talk to my father?" Lex shouted.
"Lex, I didn't talk to Lionel," Chloe said calmly. "You know I didn't."
"Then how do you know this?" Lex asked fuming.
"If you don't calm down, then I'm going to leave. I won't let you hit me again," Chloe said sternly.
"It wasn't my fault. Why don't you believe that?" Lex asked.
"Because I'm there when you beat me, Lex. I see the pure hatred in your eyes. Why won't you let anyone get close to you?" Chloe asked.
"They all end up dying or betraying me or both," Lex spat.
"Pamela didn't betray you, Lex. She loved you," Chloe told him.
"Stop talking that way! You have no idea," Lex raved.
Chloe wasn't going to back down. "She loved you more than your father ever will. All she wanted was for you to grow up and separate yourself from him."
"Chloe, I'm warning you," Lex said.
"She didn't betray you. All she wanted was forgiveness. Do you know how happy it made her when you finally forgave her?" Chloe asked.
"And what good did forgiveness do? She died, Chloe!" Lex shouted.
"I know she did. I know. You have to see that not everyone will betray you. I haven't, have I?" Chloe asked her voice raising to match Lex's.
"I'm not so sure about that. You still haven't told me how you know all this," Lex sneered.
"That doesn't matter. All that matters is that I do know," Chloe said walking to him.
"You don't know what the hell you're talking about! No one knows," Lex said balling his fists over and over.
"Your mother loved Pamela. She wanted Pamela to stay, but your father forced her away," Chloe persisted.
"I know all this already!" Lex said his eyes flashing.
"Do you know how much you meant to your mom? She thought of you as her little angel. All she wanted to do was protect you from your father," Chloe said.
Lex breathed heavily. "You are this close to crossing the line."
"You can't let your father declare victory. Think about Pamela. Think about your mom. They died praying that you could overcome your father," Chloe said not backing down.
"Stop it, Chloe!" Lex shouted.
"Lionel thought of Julian as a second chance for an heir, but your mother didn't. Your mother already had her baby boy. She had you," Chloe said getting closer to Lex. She was going to play his game.
"What the hell do you know about Julian?" Lex raged.
"I know that you were so happy to have a baby brother. When he died, it pushed your father over the edge. Your mother was never the same after that," Chloe said crossing her arms in front of herself.
"My mother didn't love me. She was just like my father," Lex growled.
"Don't you ever say that!" Chloe yelled. "Your mother loved you with all she had. She didn't show it, because you didn't. She thought you didn't love her." Chloe regretted the words as soon as she said them.
Lex picked Chloe up and slammed her into the wall. "How dare you say that about my mother. She knew I loved her."
"No, she didn't," Chloe said truthfully. "She thought you were just like your father."
"No!" Lex shouted slamming Chloe against the wall again.
"Let go of me!" Chloe yelled, her feet barely touching the floor.
"You don't know what you're saying. You're saying my mother didn't love me because she thought I didn't love her?? My mother was the best thing in the world to me. She was my guardian angel. I loved her more than I've ever loved anyone," Lex said shaking in anger.
"Then why didn't you tell her?" Chloe asked. She knew that she had stepped over the line, and there was no going back. So, she decided to keep going.
"My father wouldn't let me," Lex said tightening his grip.
"Lex, you're hurting me. Let go," Chloe urged.
"No! You can't say these things," Lex said, his moist breath on Chloe's face. He slammed her against the wall for the third time. "Get out of my house!"
Lex set Chloe back on the floor and half dragged her to the stairwell. "Get out!"
"You can't keep hiding from your past, Lex. I know things that you don't even know. I can help you," Chloe said squirming under Lex's grasp.
Lex gripped her and lifted her so that she was eye-level. "You can't help me. No one can. Leave me alone!" Lex let go of Chloe in a harsh motion that sent her off balance. Chloe's eyes got wide as she lost her footing and fell. She landed at the bottom of the stairs with a sickening crack. She glanced up at Lex in time to see him smirk and walk away. Chloe couldn't move, so she grabbed her cell phone.
"Help me," she said starting to cry.
"Where are you?" Clark asked hurriedly.
"Lex's. Please help me," Chloe said the tears streaming down her face.
Clark hung up without saying a word. Chloe jammed her phone back into her purse and drug herself to a dark corner. She had landed on her wrist and was sure it was broken. Her back hurt so much from Lex slamming her against the wall. Within a few minutes Clark came bursting in.
"Oh, Clark," Chloe cried when she saw him.
Clark ran to her and knelt beside her. "What hurts?"
"Just get me out of here. Please?" Chloe begged.
"Alright," Clark said picking Chloe up in his arms. He carried her to his truck and set her in the front seat. He took Chloe's cell phone and dialed Lana's. "Lana? It's Clark. Lex did it again. It's really bad this time. Will you call her dad and tell him to meet us at the hospital, and tell my parents where I am. Thanks. Okay, we'll be there in few minutes. I'm taking her to the emergency room," Clark hung up the phone and turned to Chloe.
"Oh, Clark. I knew he was going to do this, but I kept going. I knew I crossed the line, but I wouldn't stop," Chloe said holding her wrist tightly to her stomach.
"Tell me what happened," Clark said.
"We were talking about his dad. Then we moved to Pamela, then his mom, then Julian. He told me I was crossing the line, and I knew it. I just couldn't stop. He grabbed me and slammed me against the wall. I just kept going. He threw me against the wall two more times before dragging me to the stairs. He told me to get out. When he let go of me I lost my balance and fell. I looked up at him and he had this content smirk on his face. I was so afraid that he would come back after me, so I called you," Chloe said her breath uneven.
"What hurts Chloe?" Clark asked.
"Everything. My back, from him slamming me against the wall. I'm sure I broke my wrist when I fell. I don't know what else," Chloe said drying her tears. "What are we going to tell my dad?"
"That's up to you. I'm not going to lie. Lex needs to stop and he's not going to if you keep forgiving him," Clark said pulling into the parking lot. "Can you walk?"
Chloe shook her head. Clark crossed to her side of the truck and lifted her into his arms. Inside the emergency room Clark set Chloe gently into a wheel chair before talking to a nurse. "My friend needs help. I think her wrist is broken and she might have hurt her back," Clark told her.
"Fill these out, and we'll get with you in a minute," he nurse said.
"She needs help now," Clark persisted.
"Fill these out, and we'll get with you in a minute," the nurse repeated.
Clark walked back over to Chloe. 'I have to fill these out before they'll help you. I'll be right back." Clark walked to a secluded area and began to write as fast as his speed would let him. Within thirty seconds he had filled them all out. "Here," he said handing them to the nurse.
The nurse looked over the forms and then to her computer. She walked to Chloe and started to push her wheelchair down a hall. "I'm taking her to x-ray. You have to stay here," she told Clark.
"Clark?" Chloe asked hesitantly.
"You'll be fine," he said kissing her forehead. "I'll wait for your dad."
Chloe nodded as the nurse wheeled her away. Ten minutes later Lana came rushing in.
"Where is she?" Lana asked out of breath.
"In x-ray,' Clark said looking ready to cry. "Where's her dad?"
"He was at the plant. He's on his way. He should be here in a few more minutes," Lana said.
"What happened?" Lana asked.
"He threw her down the stairs," Clark said simply.
"Is she okay?" Lana asked.
"Do you think she's okay?" Clark shouted. "He beat her again. He threw her against the wall three times before throwing her down the stairs. Does that sound okay to you?"
"Come here," Lana said taking Clark into her arms.
When Mr. Sullivan came in her found Clark crying on Lana's shoulder. "What happened? How bad is it?"
"Uhh, she broke her wrist. She might have hurt her back. I'm really not sure, they wouldn't let me go back there," Clark said regaining his composure.
"They better let me," Gabe said marching to the counter. A nurse quickly took him down the hall Chloe had gone through.
"Did you call my parents?" Clark asked keeping one arm tightly around Lana's waist.
"Yes, they're coming," Lana said.
"We're here," Martha said rushing in the door. "What happened?"
"She broke her wrist, I think. I'm not sure what else," Clark explained hugging his mother.
"How did this happen?" Jonathan asked.
Clark wouldn't answer.
"Lana?" Martha asked.
"You'll have to ask Chloe. Clark is the one you found her, not me," Lana said.
"There's Gabe," Jonathan said. "Gabe, how is she?"
"She has a broken wrist, and quite a few bruises. She has bruises up and down her back that the doctor says couldn't have happened from the fall. She also has bruises on her arms, with the same explanation. I don't know what happened," Gabe said looking to Clark.
"You'll have to ask Chloe. I wasn't there," Clark said nervously.
"She won't talk. She's having her cast put on now. She wants to see you two," Gabe told Clark and Lana.
Clark nodded solemnly and followed Gabe to Chloe's room.
"Hey, you guys," Chloe said with a smile after her father had gone back to the waiting room.
"Why are you smiling? Lex beat you again, this time sending you flying down the stairs where he left you for dead," Clark pointed out.
"Wow, thanks for the uplifting speech," Chloe muttered. "I'm fine."
"You weren't fine when you called me," Clark said angrily.
"Clark, you're not helping," Lana warned sitting next to Chloe.
"Oh, Chlo. Your wrist," Lana said looking at Chloe's bandaged arm.
"You can be the first to sign my cast when it dries," Chloe replied still smiling.
"How can you smile?" Clark asked.
Chloe searched his eyes with her own. "Because if I don't I'll think about what he did to me. I'll think about how scared I was when I was falling down the stairs. Then, I'll start to cry and I might never stop," Chloe said here eyes becoming moist. "The look in his eyes scared the hell out of me. It was pure hatred. His eyes were like ice."
Clark sat next to Chloe as she began to shake. "I don't think he knew what he was doing. He was so angry. He just lost it," Chloe said trying not to cry.
"Chloe, it's okay to cry," Clark told her.
Chloe broke down and Clark scooped her into his arms. As she cried Lana rubbed her back while Clark rocked her back and forth.
"How the hell do you know this? Did you talk to my father?" Lex shouted.
"Lex, I didn't talk to Lionel," Chloe said calmly. "You know I didn't."
"Then how do you know this?" Lex asked fuming.
"If you don't calm down, then I'm going to leave. I won't let you hit me again," Chloe said sternly.
"It wasn't my fault. Why don't you believe that?" Lex asked.
"Because I'm there when you beat me, Lex. I see the pure hatred in your eyes. Why won't you let anyone get close to you?" Chloe asked.
"They all end up dying or betraying me or both," Lex spat.
"Pamela didn't betray you, Lex. She loved you," Chloe told him.
"Stop talking that way! You have no idea," Lex raved.
Chloe wasn't going to back down. "She loved you more than your father ever will. All she wanted was for you to grow up and separate yourself from him."
"Chloe, I'm warning you," Lex said.
"She didn't betray you. All she wanted was forgiveness. Do you know how happy it made her when you finally forgave her?" Chloe asked.
"And what good did forgiveness do? She died, Chloe!" Lex shouted.
"I know she did. I know. You have to see that not everyone will betray you. I haven't, have I?" Chloe asked her voice raising to match Lex's.
"I'm not so sure about that. You still haven't told me how you know all this," Lex sneered.
"That doesn't matter. All that matters is that I do know," Chloe said walking to him.
"You don't know what the hell you're talking about! No one knows," Lex said balling his fists over and over.
"Your mother loved Pamela. She wanted Pamela to stay, but your father forced her away," Chloe persisted.
"I know all this already!" Lex said his eyes flashing.
"Do you know how much you meant to your mom? She thought of you as her little angel. All she wanted to do was protect you from your father," Chloe said.
Lex breathed heavily. "You are this close to crossing the line."
"You can't let your father declare victory. Think about Pamela. Think about your mom. They died praying that you could overcome your father," Chloe said not backing down.
"Stop it, Chloe!" Lex shouted.
"Lionel thought of Julian as a second chance for an heir, but your mother didn't. Your mother already had her baby boy. She had you," Chloe said getting closer to Lex. She was going to play his game.
"What the hell do you know about Julian?" Lex raged.
"I know that you were so happy to have a baby brother. When he died, it pushed your father over the edge. Your mother was never the same after that," Chloe said crossing her arms in front of herself.
"My mother didn't love me. She was just like my father," Lex growled.
"Don't you ever say that!" Chloe yelled. "Your mother loved you with all she had. She didn't show it, because you didn't. She thought you didn't love her." Chloe regretted the words as soon as she said them.
Lex picked Chloe up and slammed her into the wall. "How dare you say that about my mother. She knew I loved her."
"No, she didn't," Chloe said truthfully. "She thought you were just like your father."
"No!" Lex shouted slamming Chloe against the wall again.
"Let go of me!" Chloe yelled, her feet barely touching the floor.
"You don't know what you're saying. You're saying my mother didn't love me because she thought I didn't love her?? My mother was the best thing in the world to me. She was my guardian angel. I loved her more than I've ever loved anyone," Lex said shaking in anger.
"Then why didn't you tell her?" Chloe asked. She knew that she had stepped over the line, and there was no going back. So, she decided to keep going.
"My father wouldn't let me," Lex said tightening his grip.
"Lex, you're hurting me. Let go," Chloe urged.
"No! You can't say these things," Lex said, his moist breath on Chloe's face. He slammed her against the wall for the third time. "Get out of my house!"
Lex set Chloe back on the floor and half dragged her to the stairwell. "Get out!"
"You can't keep hiding from your past, Lex. I know things that you don't even know. I can help you," Chloe said squirming under Lex's grasp.
Lex gripped her and lifted her so that she was eye-level. "You can't help me. No one can. Leave me alone!" Lex let go of Chloe in a harsh motion that sent her off balance. Chloe's eyes got wide as she lost her footing and fell. She landed at the bottom of the stairs with a sickening crack. She glanced up at Lex in time to see him smirk and walk away. Chloe couldn't move, so she grabbed her cell phone.
"Help me," she said starting to cry.
"Where are you?" Clark asked hurriedly.
"Lex's. Please help me," Chloe said the tears streaming down her face.
Clark hung up without saying a word. Chloe jammed her phone back into her purse and drug herself to a dark corner. She had landed on her wrist and was sure it was broken. Her back hurt so much from Lex slamming her against the wall. Within a few minutes Clark came bursting in.
"Oh, Clark," Chloe cried when she saw him.
Clark ran to her and knelt beside her. "What hurts?"
"Just get me out of here. Please?" Chloe begged.
"Alright," Clark said picking Chloe up in his arms. He carried her to his truck and set her in the front seat. He took Chloe's cell phone and dialed Lana's. "Lana? It's Clark. Lex did it again. It's really bad this time. Will you call her dad and tell him to meet us at the hospital, and tell my parents where I am. Thanks. Okay, we'll be there in few minutes. I'm taking her to the emergency room," Clark hung up the phone and turned to Chloe.
"Oh, Clark. I knew he was going to do this, but I kept going. I knew I crossed the line, but I wouldn't stop," Chloe said holding her wrist tightly to her stomach.
"Tell me what happened," Clark said.
"We were talking about his dad. Then we moved to Pamela, then his mom, then Julian. He told me I was crossing the line, and I knew it. I just couldn't stop. He grabbed me and slammed me against the wall. I just kept going. He threw me against the wall two more times before dragging me to the stairs. He told me to get out. When he let go of me I lost my balance and fell. I looked up at him and he had this content smirk on his face. I was so afraid that he would come back after me, so I called you," Chloe said her breath uneven.
"What hurts Chloe?" Clark asked.
"Everything. My back, from him slamming me against the wall. I'm sure I broke my wrist when I fell. I don't know what else," Chloe said drying her tears. "What are we going to tell my dad?"
"That's up to you. I'm not going to lie. Lex needs to stop and he's not going to if you keep forgiving him," Clark said pulling into the parking lot. "Can you walk?"
Chloe shook her head. Clark crossed to her side of the truck and lifted her into his arms. Inside the emergency room Clark set Chloe gently into a wheel chair before talking to a nurse. "My friend needs help. I think her wrist is broken and she might have hurt her back," Clark told her.
"Fill these out, and we'll get with you in a minute," he nurse said.
"She needs help now," Clark persisted.
"Fill these out, and we'll get with you in a minute," the nurse repeated.
Clark walked back over to Chloe. 'I have to fill these out before they'll help you. I'll be right back." Clark walked to a secluded area and began to write as fast as his speed would let him. Within thirty seconds he had filled them all out. "Here," he said handing them to the nurse.
The nurse looked over the forms and then to her computer. She walked to Chloe and started to push her wheelchair down a hall. "I'm taking her to x-ray. You have to stay here," she told Clark.
"Clark?" Chloe asked hesitantly.
"You'll be fine," he said kissing her forehead. "I'll wait for your dad."
Chloe nodded as the nurse wheeled her away. Ten minutes later Lana came rushing in.
"Where is she?" Lana asked out of breath.
"In x-ray,' Clark said looking ready to cry. "Where's her dad?"
"He was at the plant. He's on his way. He should be here in a few more minutes," Lana said.
"What happened?" Lana asked.
"He threw her down the stairs," Clark said simply.
"Is she okay?" Lana asked.
"Do you think she's okay?" Clark shouted. "He beat her again. He threw her against the wall three times before throwing her down the stairs. Does that sound okay to you?"
"Come here," Lana said taking Clark into her arms.
When Mr. Sullivan came in her found Clark crying on Lana's shoulder. "What happened? How bad is it?"
"Uhh, she broke her wrist. She might have hurt her back. I'm really not sure, they wouldn't let me go back there," Clark said regaining his composure.
"They better let me," Gabe said marching to the counter. A nurse quickly took him down the hall Chloe had gone through.
"Did you call my parents?" Clark asked keeping one arm tightly around Lana's waist.
"Yes, they're coming," Lana said.
"We're here," Martha said rushing in the door. "What happened?"
"She broke her wrist, I think. I'm not sure what else," Clark explained hugging his mother.
"How did this happen?" Jonathan asked.
Clark wouldn't answer.
"Lana?" Martha asked.
"You'll have to ask Chloe. Clark is the one you found her, not me," Lana said.
"There's Gabe," Jonathan said. "Gabe, how is she?"
"She has a broken wrist, and quite a few bruises. She has bruises up and down her back that the doctor says couldn't have happened from the fall. She also has bruises on her arms, with the same explanation. I don't know what happened," Gabe said looking to Clark.
"You'll have to ask Chloe. I wasn't there," Clark said nervously.
"She won't talk. She's having her cast put on now. She wants to see you two," Gabe told Clark and Lana.
Clark nodded solemnly and followed Gabe to Chloe's room.
"Hey, you guys," Chloe said with a smile after her father had gone back to the waiting room.
"Why are you smiling? Lex beat you again, this time sending you flying down the stairs where he left you for dead," Clark pointed out.
"Wow, thanks for the uplifting speech," Chloe muttered. "I'm fine."
"You weren't fine when you called me," Clark said angrily.
"Clark, you're not helping," Lana warned sitting next to Chloe.
"Oh, Chlo. Your wrist," Lana said looking at Chloe's bandaged arm.
"You can be the first to sign my cast when it dries," Chloe replied still smiling.
"How can you smile?" Clark asked.
Chloe searched his eyes with her own. "Because if I don't I'll think about what he did to me. I'll think about how scared I was when I was falling down the stairs. Then, I'll start to cry and I might never stop," Chloe said here eyes becoming moist. "The look in his eyes scared the hell out of me. It was pure hatred. His eyes were like ice."
Clark sat next to Chloe as she began to shake. "I don't think he knew what he was doing. He was so angry. He just lost it," Chloe said trying not to cry.
"Chloe, it's okay to cry," Clark told her.
Chloe broke down and Clark scooped her into his arms. As she cried Lana rubbed her back while Clark rocked her back and forth.