Hillary:You must have been quite starstruck!
Brett:Not really. We dated in high school. I already knew all there was to know about Ali. She was drunk. Started telling me how I was the only man to ever make her feel good.
He winks into the camera, and I swear that I’d knock his lights out if he were standing in front of me.
Hillary:Tell me, Rose, how did you feel when you saw Ali Kat Carter talking up your husband?
The camera pans out to reveal a newly-made over Rose Mitchel holding their child.
Rose:I was confused. I had taken my granny to go hang out with some of her friends, she gets so lonely, and after I had her settled, I went to where we usually mingle, and there she was, drink in hand, arm slung around my Brett.
Hillary:How did that make you feel?
Rose:Well, I couldn’t be too mad at him. He kept trying to pull away. He looked so concerned, and when I got closer, I heard him tell her that she needed to get herself some help and that he’d pray for her.
Brett:That’s right. We pray for our people, no matter their sins.
Hillary:Tell me more about what happened? What instigated the fight?
Brett looks lovingly down at his wife and baby.
Brett:I still feel terrible. There I was, telling Ali that she needed to find the lord, and she snaked her arms around me and said, “I think I already have.” I pushed her away and told her I have a wife and baby, and I have no intention of stepping outside my marriage, and that’s when she…
Hillary:When she what?
Brett:I’m sorry, I just don’t feel like I can say any more. Not when there might be young kids listening in.
Rose darts in front of Brett, grabbing the mic from Hillary.
Rose:She grabbed his package! That’s why I got so mad. I’m not an angry type, but when I saw that, it set some spark off in me. Lord forgive me.
I turn the video off, unable to listen to any more lies.
What a couple of assholes. Irene was standing there the entire time, she heard everything. Truth be told, Ali sure did make an ass of herself, but she wasn’t drinking, and she backed off as soon as she found out about Rose.
And conveniently, the only footage the media’s been playing is Ali throwing a drink at Rose. It doesn’t make any sense.
I take Hillary’s business card and look it over. It’s not like I can make things worse for Ali. If anything, I might make things considerably better. People need to know that Brett Mitchel is a slimy creep, Rose Mitchel is a liar, and Eva Crosby is—a snake in the grass.
And the money certainly wouldn’t hurt.
I feel sick, my gut twisting in ways I thought would only happen when I die. The last thing I want to be is an opportunist. The Carters have done right by me, and in turn, I own them my honesty and transparency. I go to put the card away, but then I remember the part I played in all this.
Ali wouldn’t have been so hot on Brett if I had simply pushed Eva away. But I didn’t.
And that’s on me.
I don’t know what to do, or what the right answer is. All I know is that I can’t sit around and do nothing.
Call Hillary Basion, set the record straight, take the check, and give it to Hank. Fall to your knees and beg for his forgiveness.
Of course, he could end up hating me for airing his family’s business, but someone has to start lookin’ out for Ali because she ain’t doing a great job of it herself.
I exhale, afraid of what comes next.
If I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna need to do it right, and that means, I’m gonna need help from the only person I can trust. My sister, Irene.
