She didn’t know if it was the glass between them or the vacant look on his hangdog face, but she didn’t feel a lick of fear. There was no threat here anymore.

He stared at her through the dingy, thick glass. Gloria picked up the phone on her side, waited. Glenn took his time lighting a cigarette, taking a drag. Finally, he picked up the receiver on his side.

“Hi, Glenn,” she said, her voice steady as she marveled at this newfound strength.

“What do you want?” he grunted.

“Closure.”

“You wanna come in here and look at me like I’m some kind of animal at the zoo? That it?” The anger that always bubbled just beneath his surface seemed more habit than anything now.

“Something like that,” she admitted. “See, I’m moving on. Sometimes in order to do that, you have to remember where you came from.”

“You’ll always remember me,” Glenn said darkly.

“I will. But probably not the way you want.”

“I fed you. I put a roof over your head. This is the thanks I get?”

It was an old song, and Gloria didn’t feel like dancing anymore. “You beat me. You tried to break me. Maybe you didn’t know any better. Maybe you’re just a sad, broken product of your childhood. But you were never my problem to fix.”

“I’m no victim.” He stared at her through the glass, anger flashing briefly in his eyes. He looked so much older than his age. Ancient really.

Gloria gave a small smile. “Neither am I. We’re both responsible for our choices. You don’t get to hurt me anymore.”

“You think you’re going to run off and be happy with someone else?” he snorted.

“Actually, I’m going to be happy on my own and then run off with someone else.”

He sneered at her, taking another drag from the cigarette. “Just remember who touched you first. Who owned you first. You’ll never forget me!”

“I think it’s you who won’t forget me. Me and that cast-iron frying pan.”

He coughed, a brutal hacking sound. “Someone should teach you a lesson,” he hissed.

“Well, that someone isn’t going to be you anymore. I’m walking out of here today, and you will never see me again. I’m not afraid of you anymore.”

He slapped a big hand to the window. “Big talk coming from someone on the other side of bulletproof glass.”

“Goodbye, Glenn.” She started to rise, started to replace the receiver.

“Wait! Wait!” She could hear the words from the phone, see the urgency as he mouthed them through the glass. “Don’t go. Don’t leave. I’m sorry!”

The definition of insanity, Gloria thought.

“I wasn’t there to kill you.”

His words were clear as day. She snatched the receiver back. “What did you say?”