While enjoying her last night, her friends Doreen and Lenny set her up with a woman hater, Marco. When he first meets her he grabs her arm harshly and gives her bruises. He then gave her a diamond stick pin from his suit. He then forces her to dance, telling her to act like she is drowning when she tells him she doesn't want to dance and doesn't know how. He tells her to act like she is drowning so that he can be in complete control. Later that night he tries to rape her, and at first she lets it happen, but then he calls her a slut and she starts to fight back. Eventually she gets out of his grip and she punches him in the face, making him bleed. Marco then preceded to put his blood onto the cheeks of Esther. 

When Esther gets back, her mother tells her that she didn't get accepted into an english honors program. This, on top of her getting raped, was just adding to her depression. When in Boston, Esther also has many problems sleeping at night. Her almost being raped seems like it really screwed Esther up, more than she already had been. Esther also got a letter from Buddy saying that she should come and visit him because he is falling in love with a nurse, and she must win him back. This sort of gets to Esther. In response to this letter, Esther writes claiming that she is engaged and never wants to talk to him again.