So last year, I moved to a small town. The type where everyone knows everyone, and they grandparents went to kindergarten together. Three months later, I got a job. A few months into the job, I started noticing something seriously off with one of my coworkers, let’s call her Ally.

Ally was always a bitch, but she became easier to set off. Her work, which started shitty, got even worse. And her makeup... her makeup. She didn’t wear any when I started there, but then I started to notice she was wearing foundation about 5 shakes too dark for her skin. At first, I arrogantly thought she was doing it to match me, who refused to leave the house at the time without a full face. Then I also started noticing the dark patches on her face. Her foundation might be too dark, but no one is stupid enough to screw up their concealer that badly. They weren’t concealer, but rather bruises. The dark foundation was a vain attempt on her part to hide the bruises. I noticed. Our coworkers noticed. Our customers, who’s grandparents even grew up together noticed. But no one said anything. No one is saying anything. A friend of mine, who used to work in the store under Ally’s apartment, told me that Ally sometimes came into her store covered in blood. Even today, Ally came in, with her heavy makeup, poorly done and doing nothing to conceal the dark bruises marring her face. No one is saying anything. Ally seems happy enough, and for a woman who complains about everything, including her boyfriend, she’s surprisingly silent on The bruises. No one says anything. We all just go on our merry ways.

Ally seems happy enough, and aside from the bruises and such, there doesn’t seem to be much other evidence or abuse. My serious question: Do I leave ‘well enough’ alone, and join everyone else in continuing to say nothing? Do I offer my support and a lesson in covering bruises more effectively (I’m personally just clumsy)? Or, do I break everyone’s silence and speak out for her? I’m not Ally’s biggest fan, and I really don’t want to be involved in this more than I have to, but it doesn’t seem to be getting better. If I do say something, is there a way to go about this that gets Ally the help she needs without me having to be apart of the process? (I know that sounds selfish, but it’s really not about me, it’s about her.) I’m in Canada, Ontario is there are any suggestions there.