I text my lawyer, not expecting a response at this hour. But I have a feeling I might need to lawyer up soon.
Me:
He’s so manipulative, and when you said he would try to get me to go to jail over and over again, it was too bizarre to believe. But you were right.
Alice:
It's so unfortunate that it's a pattern in these guys.
They run so far from their own consequences that when they catch them, their only alternative is to throw someone else to the wolves.
Timmy is outside, his screams audible through the walls.“I want her put in jail!”he yells, his voice escalating into a hysterical pitch.“For all she’s done to me!Sheattackedme! Thereneedto be consequences! Sheneedsto go tojail!”
I retreat to my phone, seeking solace in my messages with Alice.
Alice:
Just keep ignoring him.
The police are watching this all unfold.
Me:
I’m going to drink water in case they take me away for sleeping.
“She needs to go to jail!”he shrieks, still just outside the apartment.“Take her away!”
There’s another knock on the door, and some of the officers are back, the rest still with Timmy.
One of them glances in Timmy’s direction, then back to me, and rolls his eyes. “He’s over there pulling his hair and saying ‘Look, she’s pulling my hair’,” he smirks and shakes his head.
At least they aren’t falling for his lies.
Alice:
I’m sorry that this all had to happen this way.
As if on cue, I receive a message from an anonymous number:
Anonymous:
Timmy’s not a good person.
He’ll never change. Because he doesn’t want to.
He feels guilty when he fucks up. But only because he gets caught.
If he doesn’t think you’re giving him an opportunity to change—to see the best in him—because you’re over it, as you should be, he’ll lash out.
He’s been homeless intermittently.
Definitely a couch crasher.
He’s smashed car windows and slashed tires and thrown people’s car keys.
He drove an entire car into the ocean.
He’s been to jail way more times than most people have.