Chapter 32 #2
‘I made choices that were the best for me and you, Molls. You can’t argue with the fact that you’ve had more customers since I started featuring you and engineering decent storylines involving you.’
‘There’s so much to unpack here. For a start, I prefer to make my own choices, thank you very much, rather than having someone making decisions for me.
As to “engineering decent storylines”, this is my actual life we’re talking about.
I’m not some plaything to mess around with.
I don’t deserve your cruelty. And neither does Jack. ’
‘Oh poor little rich boy Jack Siddall,’ he snapped. ‘He had it in for me from the first day I started at that firm.’
I rested a reassuring hand on Hilda’s head, gathering strength from her presence. ‘On the contrary, from what I understand, he looked out for you and considered you to be his friend until you betrayed him. It’s clear the only person you truly care for is yourself.’
‘Yeah, well, good luck with proving I’ve done anything wrong,’ said Liam.
I handed his phone back and picked mine off the shop sign, quickly checking the screen.
‘Actually, I don’t have to prove it. You are the architect of your own vulnerability.
All this effort you’ve put into increasing your platform and dragging Jack and me along for the ride means there’s so much more at stake for you nowadays.
And I’ve recorded our entire conversation.
What would your viewers think if I posted the video online?
Do you imagine sponsors would be so keen to associate themselves with someone who has so much mud attached to them? ’
The expression of sheer horror on Liam’s face could almost have made me feel sorry for him, but one look at Hilda’s still trembling haunches steeled my resolve.
‘Please don’t cancel me,’ he said quietly.
‘Why shouldn’t I? From what Jack’s told me, you were offered a second chance before when you were allowed to resign from your position as a trader rather than being fired as you deserved.
You clearly didn’t learn anything from that episode, so how do I know you won’t move on to the next victim now that you’ve finished with your games here?
Someone needs to stop your path of destruction. ’
‘I won’t do anything like this again, I give you my word,’ he said.
‘As you know, I deal in words. And I’m afraid I put very little value on yours.’
‘I’ll leave the area. I promise, after today, you won’t ever see me in Oxford again,’ he offered, the desperation in his voice growing. ‘Please don’t destroy my reputation. I don’t know how else to make a living.’
‘You’re the one who’s doing the destroying.
How about making a living like the rest of us try to?
By being honest and straightforward in your dealings with other people.
We had this conversation before. If you have to resort to trickery and deception to get what you want, then you’re not meant to have it.
’ I took a breath and made my decision. ‘Look, here’s what I’m going to do.
I promise that I won’t release this recording’—I held up my hand to stop his prematurely delighted reaction—‘on the condition you promise in turn that this is the last of your underhand behaviour. You’ll leave the area, and you won’t come back to Oxford.
You’ll stop harassing Jack, and you’ll think about the consequences of your actions.
And while you’re at it, stop advertising those dodgy protein drinks.
If I hear the slightest rumour of you being up to your old tricks, then I’ll publish this video online.
You should remember that the boating community is a close-knit one, my best friend is a journalist who you heartlessly and very short-sightedly ghosted, and I’m highly motivated to ensure that you stay on the straight and narrow. ’
Liam pursed his lips as he considered his options. I think he was still hoping I would relent and all of the trouble he was in would magically go away.
‘How about you look at it as an opportunity for a fresh start?’ I suggested.
‘I followed you before you started all these silly tricks, and I know I wasn’t the only one.
Why don’t you build a platform based on decent behaviour and an honest relationship with your viewers?
Surely that’s going to have more value and longevity? ’
I didn’t want to have to use the video in the future.
It didn’t sit right with me having this kind of hold over a person, whatever they’d done, but on the other hand, if I didn’t take action, what was to stop him moving on to the next victim?
Somebody else might come off even worse in their dealings with him.
Liam’s shoulders slumped. ‘I guess that makes sense. I’m sorry.’ For the first time, he did seem to have some sense of shame about what he’d done.
I nodded in acknowledgement of his words. ‘Thank you. I’m glad you’ve had the decency to apologise. I hope your channel brings you greater happiness in the future.’
And then Hilda and I watched him walk down the towpath and out of our lives.