35. Forever
FOREVER
TWO DAYS LATER
I leaned against the wall outside the Trustees’ Chamber, arms crossed, with my foot propped against the wall. They were taking their sweet time to call me in.
This hearing was about to change everything, and I had to use the time wisely or miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.
My father was on the floor now, probably going on and on about my lack of focus and leadership skills.
Let him tell it, the only person capable of the job was him.
But he’d had no choice but to give up his seat to me.
No man was ever bigger than the program, and like our government, some roles came with a time limit.
I rested my head against the wall and closed my eyes.
Carmen had gone to submit the evidence for all the points I would hit on today, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the light headache attached to them.
The ibuprofen worked enough to keep me standing upright most of the day, never taking the pain away completely, but doing more than the Naratriptan ever had.
I opened my eyes and stared at the chamber door, trying my hardest not to bite my lip and fuck up the perfect liner and gloss combo I managed. Shaking my head, I shot off a text to Carmen and straightened.
There’s a bottle of Naratriptan in my office bathroom. Send it off for testing.
She replied a few seconds later.
Got it. Submitted the evidence and just finished packing the trunk for later. Will be back in less than ten.
I tucked my phone away and pretended as if I didn’t hear and smell Millicent coming. Her perfume of choice didn’t settle well with my stomach, and I gagged a little without thinking.
“Just so you know,” she mused, coming to stand beside me. “If you cross me, I won’t be an easy opponent.”
I kept my eyes forward, a tiny smile playing at my lips.
“I’ll give you three days before he kills you on my behalf, but good luck until then,” I replied, pushing off the wall as the chamber doors opened.
A security guard gestured for me to enter, and I stepped forward, pausing at the threshold to glance over my shoulder at Millicent.
In a moment of pure childish spite, I stuck my tongue out at her, enjoying the flash of disgust on her face before the heavy doors began to close.
The chamber itself was small and dominated by rich mahogany wood, from the curved rows of desks arranged in a semicircle to the elaborate paneling that stretched up to the vaulted ceiling.
Twenty-five leather chairs sat behind the desks, each positioned on tiered platforms. The chairman’s elevated podium commanded the center, flanked by the society’s seal carved into the wall behind him.
Their elevated positions forced anyone testifying to look up at them. Most were old money, but a few younger faces peppered the crowd, descendants who’d inherited their positions through blood rather than merit.
But who the fuck was I to judge?
Most of us got here the same way and were fighting to either keep or rise above our station.
My father stood in the corner to my right; our eyes met briefly as I crossed to the podium.
The chairman tapped his microphone twice, bringing the murmuring room to silence.
“State your name for the record,” he said as I stepped onto the raised rostrum and took my seat.
I leaned toward the microphone, my decision made long before I’d entered this room.
“Forever Reid Cannon, chairman. James is my maiden name.”
The reaction was immediate. A wave of whispers rippled through the trustees, heads turning toward my father, who, to his credit, didn’t react at all.
The chairman glanced down at his notes, more like my father’s complaint, clearly thrown off-script. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t told Eliel about the marriage, but that he’d already petitioned for the hearing without all the facts.
“And your rank, Mrs. Cannon?” he went on, stumbling over the title.
I held my dad’s gaze across the room for a moment before responding.
“I inherited the Broker title almost eight months ago from my father, Eliel James,” I replied, resting my elbows on the table and leaning forward slightly.
The chairman cleared his throat.
“Did you murder five society doctors without prior approval?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “However, not without justification, chairman. And per the society code of honor, a kill by a high-ranking member is subject to post-approval if the reason is deemed justified.”
Interest flickered in the chairman’s eyes.
No matter what was said behind closed doors today, the vote was always going to be in my favor with the Fairchilds pulling strings.
But announcing the truth about my memory loss and some of my history with Demetrius would certainly provoke some of the trustees to switch sides, and that’s what I was banking on.
“And you believe your reason is good enough to evoke a post-approval?” he asked.
“A year ago, I went on a job assigned to me by my father,” I started, gaze briefly drifting in his direction.
“On that job, I was attacked and left for dead. My best friend, whom you all know as Carmen Samuels, used my society-issued beacon after I missed two check-ins and found me unconscious. Days later, I woke in my bed with no memory of what had happened to me.”
I paused, letting the silence eat away at the room for a little.
“Recently, I learned there were signs of a mild traumatic brain injury, and those five doctors were instructed to keep this information from me by my father.” I cut my eyes at him again, hoping he could see the smile shining in them as I told my perfectly crafted story, where the only lie was his involvement.
“Where in the code of honor does he have the power to do that? Those doctors broke their oaths, and I helped clean up the mess. My calling card was left for a reason.”
The tension in the room thickened as every trustee absorbed my accusation.
My father’s eyes could take a life if it were possible; I knew him well enough to see the plot forming behind his eyes.
He couldn’t refute my claims now that the hearing had convened; his chance ended the second I walked through the doors.
It wasn’t often, but today, society rules were working in my favor. Eliel had power, but not the kind I accused him of.
“There is no such code or rule that would give him the right to keep your health matters from you,” the chairman replied, his tone solemn. “Are you asking for this matter to be made official by the board, Mrs. Cannon?”
I nodded.
“Yes. I would also like to bring forth another matter before voting takes place.”
The chairman lifted an eyebrow but waved for me to continue.
“There’s a marriage alliance between my family and the Carroways that I would like officially nullified. Jayden Carroway has agreed and made himself available to attest to that, but my marriage license should be enough, which I can provide upon request.”
More murmurs broke out, louder this time. Marriage alliances between prominent families were sacred in our world. Breaking one without proper cause was nearly unheard of.
Thankfully, my situation was different.
“May I ask how long ago this marriage was solidified?” the chairman asked, his voice cutting through the chatter.
“One year and ten months,” I replied, the dates etched into my mind since learning them.
“I don’t recall the first eleven months of our marriage.
My husband spent our first anniversary alone, while I had no recollection of him.
The next ten months from there were the same until he forced himself into my life again. ”
The chairman’s expression shifted to exasperation, his pale face turning a deep shade of red. “How exactly did he force his way into your life?”
“By putting a hit out on himself,” I said, unable to keep the giddiness from my voice. “He gambled on me either recognizing his photo or taking the contract on myself out of intrigue. It worked, and I took the job.
“My husband…” I leaned forward again, voice softening with genuine emotion.
“…he has this beautiful personality, and once you’re sucked in, there’s no turning back.
I could tell he was yearning for something, especially during the Everwood Group’s annual charity gala.
It was because of my closeness to Jayden Carroway that he went against his plans to slowly reveal the truth to me. ”
I straightened and got back to business.
“I would like to add that marrying Jayden was never going to happen; he approached me prior to his family proposing the deal to mine and asked that I play along until he could convince his mother to end it. My name would help him garner goodwill within the society during that time, and I agreed because I was bored.”
The silence that followed was palpable. I’d just confessed to manipulating the institution they were here to protect because I was bored. But I knew these people and that my complete honesty was the only way to reel them in.
The chairman broke the silence by clearing his throat and asking, “Who approved the hit on his life?”
“Millicent Everwood,” I answered without pause. “It’s to my understanding that she sought my husband out to facilitate a hit on the life of Jeremiah Carroway, and he agreed.”
The chairman leaned forward, a frown deepening on his face.
“Did your husband kill Jeremiah Carroway?”
“Yes.”
Gasps echoed through the chamber. I maintained my calm demeanor, even as trustees began to shift uncomfortably in their seats.
“You are aware his crime is punishable by society law; his rejector status does not exclude him,” the chairman stated firmly.
I smiled and nodded.
“I’m fully aware of the consequences, as is my husband. To be forthcoming, the approval came directly from the Carroway family, which overrides society law and excludes him from punishment.”
Direct hits were allowed, no matter who carried them out. Jayden’s mistake had become Demetrius’s defense.
“My husband has made himself available to this committee for questioning,” I added. “He’s also prepared evidence of Jayden Carroway’s involvement in his brother’s death.”
A chamber assistant stepped forward from the side of the room, handing a thick manila envelope to security, who walked into the chairman’s seat.
The evidence inside would back every claim I’d made: the doctors’ falsified reports, a copy of my marriage license, and, most damning of all, the money trail leading from Jayden to Millicent to Demetrius for Jeremiah’s murder.
“Is there anything else you’d like to present today in defense of being removed from your post, Mrs. Cannon?” the chairman asked.
“No,” I replied directly into the mic, noting that my father had left.
“Please allow the board the weekend to make a decision. All parties who’ve made themselves available should continue doing so until a decision is announced.”
With a tap of his gavel, the hearing was adjourned. I stood, not sparing any of them another glance as I walked toward the exit.
Carmen was waiting for me in the hallway, a tablet in her hand. As soon as the doors closed behind me, she handed it to me.
“You might want to see this,” she said on the verge of laughter. “The hearing was live-streamed from the Fairchild’s official page, and the people are rallying for you and Demetrius.”
I took the phone, scrolling through the comments that flooded the screen. Support seemed to pour in from both sides, society and rejectors alike, captivated by our story.
The Fairchilds had played their hand brilliantly, turning my hearing into propaganda for their cause. Now, everyone knew about Demetrius and me. Everyone knew about my father’s fake betrayal, too. But most importantly, that the rules could be broken if you were bold enough to do it.
I handed the phone back to Carmen, a smile spreading across my face.
“Let’s make our rounds,” I said, checking the time before sending a text to Demetrius.
Find me when you’re free.