Page 5 of Evidence of Us

“That Mariska was brutally raped and nearly killed the night she was supposed to meet me? Someone intentionally hurt her to keep her from meeting me, Meghan. Did you know?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So?” I ask. “She was your best friend from kindergarten. So?”

“What does it matter? You’re married to me.” Meghan says with an amused tone.

“And I should be married to her,” I quip. “I don’t know how, but I know you are part of this.”

“Hmm. No. I was with my parents in public. I didn’t do shit,” she says.

“You got me wasted and… you know damn well I didn’t want that,” I say with a growl.

“Awe. Boo fucking hoo. You came in me anyway, so how forced could it have been, pussy? Be a fucking man and shut the fuck up about it already.”

“I am so fucking glad that miscarriage ended in a hysterectomy,” I say harshly, hitting where I know it will hurt her.

“You fucking son of a b…” I end the call and turn around to see Mariska standing in the doorway.

“You got her pregnant?” Mariska asks.

“Uh. Yeah. I guess,” I say. “She got me shit drunk with just a few drinks. I am missing a lot of time, but we fucked and… well, she just kept pushing me. I was lonely and missing you. So, she was a surrogate for a while. A greedy, manipulative, narcissistic, abusive surrogate.”

“I’m sorry you’re unhappy,” she says. “Why not leave her?”

“I think part of me thinks I should be punished for letting you walk away. Well. I thought you walked away,” I say. “Either way…I’m so sorry, Riss.”

“It’s not okay,” she says, but sighs. “But I think the world was just working against us.”

“I’d give anything to get it back,” I admit.

“Even Meghan?” she asks.

“I’d give Meghan up for nothing in return,” I say, and she smirks. “She admitted that she knew. I think she’s involved in you getting hurt. I can’t prove it yet… but I’ll find out who hurt you.”

“You don’t have to,” she says. “I’ve accepted that I’ll never get justice.”

“I don’t accept that,” I say. “You didn’t deserve that.”

“Neither did you,” she remarks, but I give her a confused look. “Zeke, she raped you.”

“But I got off, Riss. I got her pregnant,” I say softly. I know she doesn’t want to think of it that way.

“That’s bullshit, Zeke. Are you saying I wanted it?” she asks.

“No, of course not. You got hurt and…”

“You work in fucking sex crimes and you…” she starts to yell but stops and closes her eyes to take a deep breath. “I had a third-degree perineal tear and still had an orgasm, Zee. It’s just a response to stimulation. I don’t care what happened; she got you drunk, probably drugged you, raped you, and filmed it. That’s first-degree rape and revenge porn. I don’t care who says what; you were raped, and you didn’t deserve that.”

I stare at her because I know that’s true, but I’ve spent years being degraded by Meghan.

“Why did she have a hysterectomy?” Mariska asks.

“Not sure. I just know that whatever happened, she hemorrhaged and was bleeding out, so she had to have one.”

“Karma,” she says simply.

“Let’s get our day started, hmm?” I suggest. “I’m glad you’re here. Maybe we can…”