The Bishop folds his hands on the desk, his ruby ring catching the light. “I’ve received a formal complaint from Robert Chen regarding Brother Moreau’s conduct with his daughter, Sarah.” His gaze finds Elijah. “The allegations are serious. Grooming. Inappropriate touching. Declarations of romantic interest that were later denied to cover misconduct.”
Elijah’s face pales, panic setting in. Charlie’s breath catches beside me, and I feel her body go rigid. Marcus’s jaw clenches so hard I hear his teeth grind.
“Those allegations are false.” My voice comes out steadier than I feel, the priest’s training taking over even as rage simmers beneath my carefully controlled exterior. “Completely and demonstrably false.”
The Bishop’s eyebrow rises slightly. “You sound very certain, Father Cross.”
“I am certain.” I lean forward, my hands still gripping the rosary beads. “Because I’ve been monitoring the situation since it first became concerning. Sarah Chen developed an obsessive crush on Brother Moreau. We have documentation.”
I pull the folder from beneath my cassock, the one we prepared last night in desperate preparation for this moment.
Inside are printed screenshots of Sarah’s social media posts, the notes she left for Elijah, and witness statements from other choir members who observed her behavior.
The Bishop takes the folder, his expression unreadable as he begins reviewing the contents.
Sister Margaret moves closer, reading over his shoulder, her pen scratching across paper with each new piece of evidence.
“This post,” I point to one of the screenshots, “shows Sarah publicly claiming Elijah as ‘someone special’ after he accepted a gift from her. A gift he tried to refuse but was pressured into accepting to avoid embarrassing her in front of the entire congregation.”
The Bishop studies the image, his steel-gray eyes narrowing slightly. I watch his face for any sign of what he’s thinking, but he’s as controlled as I’m trying to be.
“Brother Moreau rejected her advances clearly and professionally,” I continue, my voice gaining strength. “Multiple times. He maintained appropriate boundaries. He never touched her inappropriately, never made declarations of love, and never gave her any reason to believe he had romantic feelings.”
“Then why would she make these accusations?” The Bishop’s question is pointed, challenging.
“Because she’s seventeen and heartbroken.” Charlie’s voice surprises us all. She’s been so quiet I almost forgot she was there, but now she leans forward, her hazel eyes fierce with determination. “I watched her, Your Excellency. I saw how she looked at Elijah, how possessive she became. When he rejected her, she was humiliated. This is revenge.”
The Bishop’s gaze shifts to Charlie, and I see him cataloging every detail. The way her dress gapes slightly at the neckline, revealing the curve of her collarbone. The flush on her cheeks from emotion. The protective fury in her eyes as she defends Elijah. I want to pull her close, to shield her from his scrutiny, but I force myself to remain still.
“Miss Davis,” the Bishop says slowly, “you seem very invested in Brother Moreau’s defense.”
“I’m invested in the truth.” Her voice doesn’t waver. “Sarah Chen is lying. I saw her confess and Brother Elijah’s rejection, and I can prove it.”
She pulls out her phone, navigating to saved screenshots. “One of Sarah’s friends sent me these this morning. These are from Sarah’s private social media accounts. Posts she made to friends, talking about her ‘plan’ to make Elijah jealous by flirting with other men. Messages where she discusses how to ‘make him see’ that they belong together.” Charlie’s hands shake slightly as she shows the Bishop. “This isn’t a victim coming forward. This is a teenage girl weaponizing false accusations because she didn’t get what she wanted.”
Sister Margaret’s pen stills. I watch her expression shift from calculating to troubled as she reads the messages over the Bishop’s shoulder.
Marcus steps forward, his accent thickening with barely contained rage. “I witnessed Sarah’s behavior during choir rehearsals. She would position herself near Brother Moreau and find excuses to touch his arm and his shoulder. She would stay after practice to monopolize his time.” His dark eyes burn with protective fury. “Elijah was professional. Patient. Kind. He did everything right, and she’s punishing him for it.”
The Bishop is quiet for a long moment, his gaze moving between the evidence spread across his desk and the four of us standing before him. The silence stretches until it’s almost unbearable.
“These are serious counter-allegations,” he says finally. “Accusing a minor of fabricating abuse claims is not something I take lightly.”
“Neither do we.” My voice drops to something dangerous, the underground boxer bleeding through despite my attempts at control. “But we won’t let an innocent man be destroyed by lies. Brother Moreau has served this parish with honor and integrity. He deserves better than to have his reputation shredded by a teenager’s vindictive fantasy.”
The Bishop’s steel-gray eyes hold mine, and I see something flicker in their depths. Understanding, maybe. Or recognition of the violence I’m barely suppressing. “I’ll need time to review all of this. To speak with other choir members and investigate further.” He closes the folder. “In the meantime, Brother Moreau will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of this investigation.”
“No.” The word bursts from Elijah before he can stop it. “Your Excellency, please. This parish is my life. If you remove me, even temporarily, it validates Sarah’s lies.”
“It protects you,” the Bishop counters. “And it protects the parish from further accusations while I determine the truth.”
I watch Elijah’s face crumble.
Fear and shame war in his eyes.
Charlie reaches back instinctively, her hand finding his, and I see the Bishop’s gaze sharpen at the gesture.
She realizes her mistake immediately and pulls away, but the damage is done.
