Far from shutting up, Shirley Lockwood burst into tears, trembling with fear as she clung to Eleanor Bishop's arm. "Pretty lady, save me! You have to save me! My dad is a really bad person. He's always yelling at me and hitting me. Domestic abuse is a regular thing for him. Look at me! Look how skinny he's made me! Pretty lady, I'm telling you, you have to stay far, far away from my dad, so he doesn't abuse you too after you marry him!"
"I abuse you? Shirley Lockwood, you dare say that to me again?"
"You do abuse me! Look, my face is all swollen from you hitting me!" As she spoke, Shirley Lockwood, with great drama, pointed to her own little cheeks, her eyes red and her expression indignant.
Eleanor Bishop looked at Rory's cheeks, puffed out with anger, and furrowed her brow deeply.
'Even though Rory's cheeks were puffed out from anger,' she thought, 'I can't help but wonder if Archie Lockwood really does abuse her. Otherwise, why would Rory have run away from home?'
