“Then you've made this situation significantly worse,” Greg said. “For yourself and for the team.”
“We’re trying to help you, Easton,” Janet added. “This statement gives you a way out. A way to move forward without destroying your career.”
“By throwing Palisade to the wolves.”
“By protecting yourself,” Marcus said. “Which is what you should be doing.”
I closed the folder and stood. “I need to think about it.”
“You have twenty-four hours,” Greg reminded me. “After that, we move forward with or without your cooperation.”
I nodded and left the conference room, my mind racing.
After the meeting, I sat in my truck, the worn seat offering little comfort as I stared at the dashboard. Two paths stretched out in front of me.
Sign the statement. Apologize for the optics. Keep my head down, rebuild my image, and probably get the captaincy back, eventually. Play it safe.
Or…
Tell the truth. Issue a statement defending Palisade, calling out the harassment, clarifying that Casey was never a secret, but the daughter I never knew I had. Risk everything I’d built for a chance to do the right thing.
I thought about Casey’s question this morning, the text Palisade had sent me.
Is this because of me? Because I’m a surprise?
I thought about Palisade’s words.I don’t know how to fix this.
I thought about Dr. Reyes’s question, the one I’d been wrestling with for weeks. What kind of father did I want to be?
I pulled out my phone and called Dr. Reyes’s office. His assistant answered.
“Hi, this is Easton Henley. I know I don’t have an appointment scheduled, but I need to talk to Dr. Reyes. Is there any way he can squeeze me in today?”
There was a pause, some keyboard clicking. “He has an opening at two. Can you make that?”
“I’ll be there.”
Dr. Reyes’s office looked the same as always, with comfortable chairs, soft lighting, and the faint scent of coffee. He greeted me with his usual calm demeanor, but I could see the concern in his eyes.
“You sounded urgent on the phone,” he said once we settled. “What’s going on?”
I told him everything. The clinic invasion. Casey’s fear. My rage at the photographer. The meeting with management. The suspended captaincy. And the sanitized statement they wanted me to sign.
“And now I have a choice,” I finished. “Sign their statement, which basically admits I was wrong to defend my family. Or issuemystatement telling the truth, which will probably cost me everything.”
Dr. Reyes was quiet, his expression thoughtful. “Let’s break this down. What do you think will happen if you sign their statement?”
“The media storm dies down. I keep playing. Probably get the captaincy back in a few weeks or months. My career stays on track.”
“And what happens to Palisade and Casey?”
I exhaled slowly. “They keep getting harassed. The narrative stays the same: that she’s a gold digger, that Casey was a secret, that I’m some kind of victim in all this.”
“And if you issue your own statement?”
“I lose the captaincy permanently. Possibly lose my place on the team. Tank my reputation with management. But…” I paused, trying to articulate what I was feeling. “Casey would see me defend her and her mother publicly. Palisade would know I’m not ashamed of them. The harassment might get worse before it gets better, but at least people would hear the truth.”
“So, one choice protects your career. The other choice protects your family.”
