Aldrich #4
I was getting angry again; the words coming out bitter and sour as I spoke.
I felt like I was going to break out in another sweat and I had to sit back before I started throwing up all over everything.
No matter how I was feeling, I wasn’t about to have them not honor the place that Sterling held in both my and Ami’s life.
She had been understanding without letting me off the hook where most nannies would’ve just let me avoid my baby.
Sterling did her job but always attempted to include me not only in decisions but in doing the work.
It forced me to consider her, to remember that she was there and I wasn’t able to ignore how my life had changed.
A knock on the door interrupted everyone and we all waited as the door swung open and Parker’s assistant walked in. Before she said anything I could already tell what was waiting for us.
“The other parties are here.”
We’d been sitting in silence for a while.
They’d come with their lawyer who seemed in over his head once he was presented with the team of people that I had on my side.
I knew he wanted to feel as though he was still in control, but he would never have control of this situation.
I wondered if they’d disclosed what their daughter had done, or if they’d spoken my name, my salary, paternity and he’d taken their case like it would be open and shut.
Not so fast, silly rabbit.
I glanced at Sterling and her face was blank but I could see how tight she was around the eyes.
The normal relaxed state she usually resided in was gone and I was more than eager to get these people away from us just because of that.
They were robbing my girl of peace and I wanted them out of our lives.
The long conference table was set up on the executive floor of the Desperados facility.
Parker had insisted on this meeting being held here, not out of nosiness but so that they could see a large show of power against people who tried to come after me.
This place was a luxury battlefield. A place where deals were made and lives were changed.
I remembered coming in here to finalize my deal.
Now, I was coming in here to fight for my daughter and our family.
The lawyer they had with them cleared his throat and I could tell he’d been unnerved by how silent all of us had been. The first one to speak in a negotiation was always the loser and he was about to prove why he wasn’t going to walk out of this room victorious.
“So, I’m not sure why no one is saying anything but I’m more than happy to kick things off.
” He had tan skin similar to his male client and I wondered if he held the same beliefs as them and that was why he’d taken their case.
He reached into his bag and pulled out the motion as if he assumed we wouldn’t have read it or have it around.
I had to hide my smirk because I knew that Billy was going to take exception to his thinking she was unprepared.
“We are more than happy to take over custody of the minor Charlie Zahran—”
“Then we’re done here because I don’t have a child named Charlie Zahran.”
“That is what her name will be changed to once we have her back where she belongs.” The man spoke with the same venom he always seemed to have when it came to me and I hadn’t done shit to him.
I’m sure he had to be catching some type of flak for his daughter having a baby out of wedlock and I’m sure my being Black didn’t help with his hatred. As a father, I’m sure he felt like I’d somehow dishonored her and then refused to do the right thing.
“Mr. Zahran let me get this straight. You want my client who has had custody of his daughter and named her to not only turn her over to you but to also allow you to change her name, first and last, but still pay you child support for a child he is supporting and caring for very well on his own?” Billy had a legal pad in front of her but I knew this entire conversation was being recorded and from previous interactions, Billy never forgot details.
“It is only right, since we are the family that should have had her to begin with that she carries on her mother’s last name.”
“Not about to happen.” Billy's lack of respect for this man was clearly pissing him off as his face grew redder when she shut down his requests.
“There is nothing you can do to stop us from having our granddaughter.”
“There is plenty that can be done. We can start with how you all made the false allegations against my client with CPS. As an attempt to circumvent the justice system and force a minor child to go with strangers she’s never met. No judge is going to look well on that.”
“We were genuinely worried for her safety since she’s been kept from us.”
“Being with her father isn’t being kept from you.
And given that your daughter attempted to abort her unborn daughter by causing a car accident, no one is going to look kindly on the people who raised a woman who would do something so cruel.
Especially when she is getting more than adequate care from her father and his partner.
” Billy almost looked bored having to restate the facts to these people but she was handling it like a champ.
“She is not her mother!” The woman, who had been trying to look demure and maternal couldn’t take it anymore and let her true colors leak through.
I had to give Sterling credit because she didn’t flinch once at any of the noises.
She sat next to me like a queen, shoulders back and head held high, staring at their theatrics like she too was bored.
“The woman you wish was her mother is dead. Dead by suicide even though you seem to want to forget that. You would think that if you truly cared about this little girl that you would be happy there was someone to love her the way your daughter clearly never would.” Billy wasn’t trying to be cruel but she was stating facts that the Zahrans had obviously omitted to their lawyer by the way his eyes widened at her words.
He glanced toward his clients and their lack of reaction was proof that Billy’s words were true.
“You don’t know that. She could’ve fixed Marley.
Made her focus and become a good woman. He should have married her instead of allowing her to live with shame.
” Mr. Zahran was staring at me like I was supposed to be their child’s savior and I had sympathy for him over the loss of his child but I wasn’t a magical negro to fix her mental illness.
I could tell Sterling was getting pissed because I could feel her leg jumping beneath the table. She’d stayed quiet all this time but I knew she was going to go off soon.
Their lawyer spoke up probably because he saw that bullying me into doing anything I didn’t want to do wasn’t going to work. Especially not with the caliber of people I had on my side. Why he thought this was going to be something easy was beyond me.
“There has to be a way to come to some type of agreement between the two parties.”
“There is no agreement. This is my client’s daughter.
Your clients have shown that they are not a safe place for her.
You disrespect him and his partner. And the fact that your wife has dual citizenship with a country that doesn’t enforce US extradition means that any contact with his child means that you could take her and flee. We aren’t about to take that chance.”
My brows shot up because I hadn’t looked into anything about the egg donor’s past. I barely spoke her name so finding out more about her wasn’t high on my list. But hearing that they had dual citizenship somewhere else only angered me even more.
With the type of people they were, they would’ve absolutely tried to steal my daughter without an ounce of regret.
“You will do what we want because we have found the tape.”
Mrs. Zahran’s voice was cold as ice and filled with determination.
Sterling’s leg jumped harder as I tried to determine what she was referring to.
“What tape?” Marcus was speaking casually because he had been filled in on everything before we got here.
Mr. Zahran’s face turned to me again the disgust clear.
“Of our granddaughter’s conception. We saw the disgusting things our Marley did with you and I refuse not to have this dishonor corrected!
” He slammed his hand on the table causing Parker to chuckle.
I could almost hear him questioning who this man thought he was to be slamming his fists on other people’s furniture but he stayed quiet.
“And now you’re resorting to blackmail? You realize that is a criminal offense, right?” Marcus’ eyes went to their lawyer who looked visibly nervous. Apparently, he and his clients didn’t discuss a game plan before they walked in.
“Release it.” All eyes turned to me but Billy was the first to recover from her shock.
“Well, hold on—”
“It’s okay, Billy. I promise. Their daughter raped me so she could get pregnant with my daughter and drag my name through the media for what?
A check? Did she think I was going to be with her once the baby was here?
I would’ve spent every dime in my account to get my daughter away from her because it’s clear she wasn’t wrapped too tight. ”
“What kind of monster are you that you would have separated a mother from her daughter?”