Chapter 7
Checkmate
After posting Dahlia’s bail and setting up a meeting with Harry’s attorney, I picked up my client from jail.
“How much is all this going to end up costing me?” Dahlia inquired as she buckled her seatbelt.
“Not nearly enough,” I replied with a laugh. “We’re just lucky we have that video from the school to fight this with. Fire meets fire.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you.” She sighed, looking out the window.
“Don’t start kissing the ground I walk on until I get these charges dropped.” I pulled up to my office parking lot. “Are you ready to do this?”
She nodded quickly. “Let’s go face this bastard.”
With conviction, we marched into the conference room where her husband and his lawyer were already waiting.
“Just like women to keep the men waiting,” Sy Bradford said with a sneer. I hated him with a passion. He was such a slime ball.
“Blame it on the bailout process,” I replied, taking my seat.
“Fucking cunt,” Harry muttered under his breath.
Sy held his hand up to his client. “Let me do the talking, Harry.”
I pulled out my laptop and Dahlia’s file. “Let’s just get down to business.”
“As you wish,Miss Collins.” The way he said my name made me want to jump across the table and slap that goofy, pretentious smirk off his stubble-ridden face.
“We are prepared to not press assault charges against your client if he is willing to drop the vandalism charges,” I explained, and both men’s jaws dropped.
“Assault charges? This is the first we are hearing of an assault charge.” Sy sat up straighter in his chair as I opened my laptop.
Hitting play, I let the men see the vicious slap, the sound of it ringing out as countless witnesses watched.
“I have ten witness statements at the ready to proceed with spousal abuse charges.” I pulled out each piece of paper, laying them on the table between us. “And I can get more. Noah, the couple’s son, was even present for the attack.”
“This is hardly an attack. Mrs. Reynolds was obviously antagonizing my client after he was tossed out onto the street without warning from his wife.”
I narrowed my eyes at Sy and Harry. “My client was acting out of self-defense after your client gave her an STD.”
Dahlia screamed out as her hands flew over her mouth. I was on a roll and couldn’t protect her from that one. It was ammunition that needed to be used. It was the only way we were going to win this battle.
“Here are her medical records to prove your client gave Mrs. Reynolds chlamydia not even a month ago. His infidelity recklessly put my client in danger.” I crossed my arms, watching the rusty wheels in Sy’s brain turn.
Checkmate.
“May I have a minute alone with my client?”
“Sure.” I shoved away from the table. “Dahlia, let’s go grab a cup of coffee.”
She followed me out of the room.
“How dare you,” she snarled at me.
I put my hand on her shoulder. “It was the only way to make sure they knew there isn’t a way out for them. You have to see that.”
Hugging herself tightly, she nodded as tears started to fall. “How did my life go to shit so quickly?”