Fortuity

Chapter 5

I stood in the doorway watching as Ashley slept. Tears stained her cheeks. To think that all of this could have been avoided. Don’t get me wrong revenge porn is never okay, but she knew this man like all the others were already seeing someone else.

Speaking up about her reckless behavior in front of her parents was one thing I wouldn’t do. So long as it didn’t put her in imminent dangerI keep my mouth shut. But am I wrong for hoping that this situation will teach her some type of lesson.

I am torn between comforting her and just watching her fall flat on her ass. I am not one to filter my words, so having a heart to heart with her may not go the way I plan for it to go.

I want to hug her and tell her we will fix everything and at the same time I want to slap some sense into her. I want to shake her so hard that her screws rattle back into place.

I sigh heavily before closing her door, and heading down the stairs. I grab my cell and dial Damiens number hoping he can let me know what legal routes we can go as far as the video is concerned.

The phone rings a few times before I am sent to voice mail. s**t! I pace the floor thinking what else I can do, when I remember that Darrius’ contact information was in the file they left me with. I quickly retrieve it from the office and punch in his number.

“Darrius Johnson,” his husky voice reverbs after the second ring. Just hearing the bass in his tone freezes me in my spot. My mind blanks of my reason for calling.

“Hello,” he calls out. In that moment I do what any insane person would. I hang up.

“Crap,” I slap my palm to my head. “What is wrong with you Monica? Get your s**t together.”

I repeatedly tap my head.

“Okay maybe you should text instead. Yeah that will be…” I am cut off by the sound of my phone ringing. I look at the screen. s**t he’s calling back. In my moment of nerves I truly become crazy as I send him to voicemail. “Ugggghhh. What is wrong with me?”

I flip down into my office chair and slam my head onto to the table. “Ouch.” I pout as I rub it with two fingers.

“Miss,” there’s a knock at my door as James calls to me. “A Mr Bradshaw and Mr Johnson are here to see you.”

“Damn,” I whisper under my breathe. I clear my throat. “Let them in. Thank you James.”

I quickly check the mirror, hanging on the wall, to ensure my hair is okay and straighten out my clothes. Oh screw it. A knock at the door sends me scurrying back to my chair as I try to look busy “come…hmm,” I clear my throat “Come in.”

I hurriedly place my book in front of me and grab a highlighter.

“Good Afternoon Monica,” one of them call out as they enter. I continue to act as though I’m busy with studying so they won’t see my flustered face.

I feel them move to the chairs in front of me and take a seat and one clears his throat.

“ Sorry,” I look up slightly. “Doing a little class work.”

“Oh?” Darrius questions with a smirk. “What are you doing exactly?”

“I have a paper to write,” I give a small smile as I look back down.

“Is that so?” I nod. “A paper on what exactly?”

“Algebraic equations and the debit/credit transaction in accounting,” I say with a bit of forced frustration.

“That sounds complicated,” Damien chuckles

“It is,” I shrug.

“It would be easier to do if you used your accounting book for that. I don’t know how much help Eric Jerome Dickey’s ‘Sleeping with Strangers’ would be on that topic,” Darrius says as he leans over to close the book.

“I don’t know. Gideon seems to be doing a lot of debits in credits in his life” I shrug placing the book to the side.

“Sounds more like he’s adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying to me. Not so much as debiting and crediting,” he smirks.

“That’s your opinion,” I cup my hands together in front of me. “What brings you by?”

“Well a little birdie sent a distress call and when we answered there was no response, so we decided to answer it in person.”

“A little birdie huh?”

“Yes, and the way she flew the nest this morning, made me wonder if there was trouble,” Damien says. His tone laced with concern.

I twiddled my thumbs thinking whether I should confide in them or let things be. “Then you would be correct.” I decided to go with the former.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“I may need legal advice,” I state looking between the two.

“We already agreed to represent you in this matter,” Darrius starts. I raise my hand cutting him off.

“No not with that.” I say clearing my throat. “A friend has gotten into a sticky situation and I need to see what we… uh I, can do legally to help her!”

“What’s the situation?”

“Um I can tell you some but not all of what’s happened.”

“In order to get you in the right place Monica, it’s best to tell us everything. We can’t give you details if you won’t give us any.” Damien states.

I grit my teeth and call to have lunch brought in. Once I hang up I proceed to tell Darrius and Damien what went on with Ashley ensuring not to leave anything out. After 45 minutes and a break for lunch they sit quiet.

“So,” I say breaking the silence.

Darrius sits up in his chair clearing his throat. “Well, this is…”

“Interesting,” Damien finished. “ There are laws against situations like this. She definitely has a case if she can prove this, but there are risk.”

“He could counter everything she says, and even if she were to win, whose to say the wife doesn’t counter sue her for interfering in her marriage,” Darrius points out. “Happy home or not. If there is not divorce agreement or prof of them filing as separated she can be held accountable.”

“Oh,” I slump back into my seat. “What if we found proof she was cheating as well?”

“That wouldn’t matter either. If he didn’t catch hear before hand this can turn into a revenge cheating case,” Damien shook his head. “Plus no judge would take the word of the mistress over a distressed wife.”

“So there is nothing we can do,” I asked defeated.

“We can get a cease and desist order to get the video taken down and stop the spread of it. Anything else would take a lot to win over,” Darrius replied.

“Can I ask you a question?” Damien asks. “If you know your friend is prone to situations like this, why are you fighting so hard to help her?”

I wince at his question, pondering the thoughts in the back of my mind. “Well, it’s because she’s my friend. I can’t sit back and watch some fouls man expose her like this. No woman should be plastered online without consent.”

“And do you believe she didn’t give it to him?” He asks.

“She said she didn’t,” I mumbled.

“ I get that, but do you believe her?” He stares questionably at me. “Don’t get me wrong Monica. I know she’s your best friend, but don’t you think your friend could be saying that she didn’t because she wasn’t expecting to be caught? I mean you’ve already said that this is not the first time it’s happened, and this man in particular is one you two argued about a few days ago. I mean if she could lie and say she didn’t know he was married, don’t you think she could lie and say she didn’t consent?”

I couldn’t answer him. I was rendered speechless in that moment, because I knew he was right. Everything he said made perfect sense, but I still couldn’t believe she would lie to me. She’s my best friend. We tell each other every thing. There’s no way.

“I…I,”

“So you don’t believe me?” I jump up from my seat as Ashley barges into the room. “You really believe I would lie about this? Really Mo?”

“I didn’t say that Ash,” I mummer.

“You sure as hell said a lot to two strangers about me. You put my business out to people we don’t even know.”

“I was asking for advice,” I stammer. “They are lawyers Ashley. And I didn’t need to put your business out there the married man you screwed did that for you. I told you days ago to let sleeping dogs lie and you still crawled in his bed. In his wife’s home. I’m trying to fix the consequences of your dumbass decisions. You could have any single guy you want, but you choose to go for the ones that are married or already have girlfriends. And guess who’s right left cleaning up your s**t? Me. So don’t you dare turn this s**t on me like I’m the bad guy.”

“Tell me how you really feel Mo. If I’m such a burden on you maybe I should just leave,” she said as she turned to leave.

“Ash wait,” I called out as I walked towards her.

“No. I’m a dumbass who makes bad choices that ruins your life.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. I’m going to a hotel. I’ll wallow in my pity alone until my parents ship me off,” she says as she storms down the hall and out of the house.

“Shit.”

“I’m sorry Monica, I didn’t mean to push you,” Damien says as he walks towards me.

I place my hand up to push him away. “Just go Dam. I will call you guys Monday so we can start on my case.”

“Are you sure?” Darrius asks.

“I’ll be fine,” I say somberly as I make my way up the stairs towards my bedroom.

“Call us if you need anything,” Darrius calls after me and I pass a small wave not once looking back at them.