“Allegedly,” my father added. “And at this point, it’s hearsay. The absence of a trial is just as good for you as it is for us.” His eyebrows knitted in confusion. “Your husband isn’t exactly a model citizen, sweetheart. He has his own rap sheet and a violent history to match. If we go to court, what the court will see is him grabbing my daughter-in-law and getting laid on his ass for it. She graduated top of her class, just quit her job at the bar to join corporate America, is from a well-off, middle class family, and of course, will have the best public press available to her. Stone may be the one technically on trial but your husband will be on trial just as much because although he’s Stone’s victim he made someone else a victim first. If we don’t come to an agreement, I have half a million dollars to put toward lawyers and legal fees.”
“The film will show that he beat my husband even after he was no longer a threat.”
“The film won’t even get that far.” My dad smirked. “I have the only copy, got it off the bar for cheap actually. They figured it was the least they could do for our family. So let me tell you how this is going to go. I’m going to give you a hundred thousand dollars today if you agree to never open your mouth about this and get the charges dropped. Once Stone is out, you’ll get four hundred thousand more, a hundred on his release, two hundred a month later and a hundred three months after that.”
“And if I don’t agree you’re going to try to drag my husband down with Stone?”
“I won’t try. I’ll just do it. Even if you won against Stone, you won’t win against the woman he grabbed. She’s going to get on that stand and cry. She’s going to talk about misogyny, men feeling entitled to women, and how this country has proven being defended and defending yourself is wrong. She can’t work or eat. She’s barely leaving her house. The one man who cared enough to protect her is locked up. She feels responsible. Your husband’s actions ruined her life. She’s traumatized from watching the fight and being forced onto the stand while you sued Stone.” My father snapped his fingers at his lawyer who immediately opened his folder and plucked papers out. “She can cry on cue,” he added. “And I’ve looked into your family, even if you wanted to, you couldn’t take us in court.”
She clenched her jaw.
“I’d want two hundred thousand today.”
“That can be done.” He took the paper from his lawyer and set it on the table. “And if your husband ever even looks at my daughter-in-law again, you won’t have to worry about hospital bills. Because he’ll be DOA.” He grabbed a pen from his suit jacket and tossed it on top of the papers. “Sign.”
“What if the state picks the case up?”
“With what witnesses and what evidence?” he countered. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it. You just make sureif shit hits the fan you aren’t associated because bribing you can be spun to look like blackmail easily.” He winked at her and I shifted in my seat as I watched my father blackmail this woman.
She signed the papers presented to her and my father plucked out a two hundred thousand dollar cashier’s check made out to her and handed it off.
When we walked out, I felt like a weight had been lifted off me.
“I’ve seen you bluff before but damn.” I shook my head as we walked across the parking lot.
“I didn’t bluff, Kiano. I meant every word.”
“I meant about Jiselle being able to cry on cue and the film and shit.”
“I’ve spoken to Jiselle and I have the film.”
I paused mid-step and he stopped as well. He pivoted with his hands in his pockets.
“You watched the security footage?”
“More than once.”
“So you know Stone is actually?—”
“Ay,” he cut me off. “I know neither of you are going to do hard time and the law isn’t about what you did. It’s what you can prove and what you can pay for. Stone is family. Jiselle is family and that film has been disposed of. Even if we were demanded to bring it in, we didn’t technically get it and it’s nowhere to be found. It got lost in a date breach or something.” He shrugged. “Go home. Your mother will call you when everything is settled.”
“Alright.” I nodded once. “Will do.”
22
I reached for my ringing phone in the dark and answered without looking at the Caller ID. A yawn forced its way out of my mouth and I rolled onto my side and set the phone on my ear.
“Hello?”
“Hey.” My mom’s voice was sweet and soft and I briefly wished she was still in the United States. “What’s wrong? You told me to call you as soon as I could?”
“Yeah, but I really just wanted to talk,” I admitted.
“Okay. Then let’s talk. What’s going on, Jezzy?”
“How’d you decide when you wanted to leave Dad?”
“What?” she scoffed.