“Bruh, how are you handling this?” Stew’s voice had a tone in it I didn’t like. Not quite pity but something akin to it bothered me.
“I’m doing all right. Like I said, my production—”
“Ain’t at all what we’re talking about. You think that’s what we’re thinking about? Fuck that field, Aldrich. You telling us this shit months after it happened and you’re way too calm for me. And now her parents are trying to do what exactly? Because I know y’all are great at your jobs but the team has a team of lawyers that will bury them in so much paperwork and red tape that they won’t be able to think about releasing some shit.” Stewlooked at Parker who was angrily nodding his head like they were about to team up like Batman and Robin and take on the bad guys.
“He’s hoping they will come to their senses since this involves their daughter’s reputation and granddaughter but so far they are still trying to extort him.”
“Extort him? For what? Showing that their daughter is a fucking rapist?” Coach J was tapping his fingers on the table and I could see he was getting pissed. “Listen here, this shit hits home with a lot of us because it affects you and your family. But this shit is personal to me because I’ve been accused of some shit like this before. It almost took me out of the game completely so I don’t take lightly to people who play around like that.” Coach J had a girl accuse him in college and if it wasn’t for a recording at his dorm showing him entering the building at the time the crime supposedly happened, he would’ve lost everything. As it was, plenty of people had tried to discredit him even after he was cleared.
“We get it, but we are here to determine the best situation for everyone involved.” Billy was taking back control because I certainly wasn’t. I knew Coach J had gone through some shit but allegations like that were damn near par for the course in this line of work. The worst part about it was that people assumed you’d done it because of the reputation that athletes had. Hell, I’d braced myself my entire life for something like this to happen. Made sure I was clear on consent and even had people sign NDAs to prevent any bullshit from happening. I just didn’t expect to be on the other end of it. And maybe that was the part that was still fucking with me.
“How can we help?” Stew took a deep breath and I knew he was feeling some type of way. Probably remembering the frantic call I’d made to his wife in the middle of the night and putting together how long I’d been keeping this from him. I was surehe was just disappointed that I hadn’t confided in him, probably Coach J too, but I wouldn’t have known how to express this shit to anyone.
“I’m not sure. I want to end this harassment but they seem hell-bent on pushing the issue. They keep threatening to get custody of my daughter acting like I haven’t done the best to provide for her. They’re citing the fact that it’s what their daughter would’ve wanted—”
“With not an ounce of respect, fuck what she would’ve wanted.”
Parker hit him on the shoulder clearly not agreeing with what Stew said. “We gotta give a little respect because she’s the mother of his kid, Stew.”
Since Stew and I were on the same page, I had to be honest with Parker. “Nah. Sterling is the mother of my daughter. Their daughter was just her incubator. A fucking glorified, unpaid and unwanted surrogate. Someone who would try to kill their baby just to get the attention and sympathy of a man who didn’t want her. A man she had to drug and assault and to even get pregnant.”
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 hewas 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.
