Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 147733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
That’s not something women usually say to me.
A second later, it registers, battering my brain.
“Mrs. Wickes?”
“It’s Ava, yeah, but don’t hang up!”
Legal won’t like this, but I listen.
Moving the phone away from my face, I slide the audio recorder on and return it to my ear. “What are you apologizing for?”
“I just... I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am for what I said about your father. I—I didn’t mean for this to happen. None of it. But she was so persistent—she threatened my daughter if I didn’t comply—”
“She? Simone Niehaus, you mean?”
“Yes. She threatened to take everything. She held a scholarship over my head. That’s no excuse, I know, and I regret that it’s gone this far. I regret it so deeply, you’ll never know. I’m sorry. I let her bully me into doing something horrible. It must be so raw for you... So that’s why I have to end this. I’m willing to go on record and say Royal Cromwell did nothing wrong. I’ll retract my statement immediately.”
I feel like I’m floating above the room, completely disembodied.
Is this real life?
I’m so shocked I don’t know what to say.
“Miles? Are you still there?” she asks.
I clear my throat. “I’m sorry. I’m just processing. Have you explained this to your daughter?”
I’m not even sure why I ask, it’s just the first thing that comes to mind.
“I told her what happened. She agreed I had to do the right thing. Michelle’s a sweet girl. She said she’d rather go to community college and transfer than take a dime of dirty money. Really, I didn’t expect her to forgive me so fast. I don’t expect the same from you.”
Damn.
This kid is potentially losing her chance at life, all because Simone will yank her scholarship if her mother stops playing ball and tells the truth?
I can’t even be mad at the woman.
There isn’t enough anger left over when it’s laser-focused on the real shitworm here.
“Doing the right thing won’t change anything for your daughter. I’ll see to it,” I snap.
“What? No. Oh, no, I can’t let you do that. You’ve been through enough, thanks to me, and it wouldn’t be right.”
“What’s not right is someone blackmailing you into lying for survival. I appreciate you calling me today. That took guts.” I let her catch her breath before I ask, “Is there any chance you know about Jillian Oakes falling into a similar situation? I’m just trying to get to the truth and sort this mess out, but if you were blackmailed, odds are she was too.”
“I contacted her this morning. We both had a good conversation and we want to make it right. The lady at the bar told me it’s not my fault, whatever mess I caused. And it’s not too late if I just call you.”
“What lady from the bar?”
“I think her name was Jenn or Jenna? It all happened so fast, but she said she knows you. She’s the one who made me realize how screwed up this is.”
My jaw damn near hits my desk.
Jennifer Landers.
My Jenn.
My kitten.
I close my eyes and struggle to breathe.
Fuck me.
Even after everything I’ve put that woman through, she stepped up and did what the best paid investigators in the state combined couldn’t pull off, and she did it all for me.
“She was very concerned about you. She said you’d blame yourself if anything happened to your father or the company. I knew she was right, but just telling you the truth still didn’t feel like enough. That’s why I went to Jillian.”
I’m dizzy.
Delirious.
I don’t know what part of this is more disorienting anymore.
The fact that Jenn came through for me in my darkest hour, or that my father did nothing wrong and Simone fucking blackmailed people into lying publicly.
My head is spinning, but I refocus on this moment, this conversation.
“What did Miss Oakes say?” I ask hoarsely.
“She’s an attorney. From what I gathered, they threatened her with being disbarred if she didn’t cooperate and go along with this scheme.”
Shit.
I’m no attorney, but I know that disbarment usually requires wrongdoing and an attorney would damn well know that. “Did she mention what Simone planned?”
“When she first got out of law school, Jillian worked as a public defender. I guess she lost a string of cases, and some of those guys went down for long sentences. She gathered them up and convinced them all to sign a complaint by promising to pay for their appeals. Then she told Jillian if she didn’t cooperate, the complaints would all be turned over to the bar association and she would help the men file a class action against her. Jillian didn’t feel she’d done anything wrong, but she works for a nonprofit now. She couldn’t afford to fight the association and defend herself against a huge suit at the same time.”