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I tried not to enjoy the show too much, but watching Mr Hot Shot lawyer, aka Tristan Carmichael, try to justify his part in doing Virginia’s bidding was seriously too hard not to enjoy. 

 

“George, for years it was my firm's job to make sure the Shickel name wasn’t put at risk. I only did what was asked of the firm by Virginia because in the past you allowed us to take orders from her.” Tristan told him, sweating bullets.

 

“I’m not asking for excuses. I want to know everything you did,” George tells him.

 

“I only made sure the maid’s daughter didn’t think she could use the oldest trick in the book to bleed your family for money. She didn’t help herself when she stole the broach, a Shickel family heirloom, from Virginia’s jewelry box. According to Virginia, the girl was likely only saying the baby was George Jr’s. And looking at the place she came from… well, the girl was likely hoping George Jr would help her and her baby out of that situation. Add that to the stealing, and it pretty much looks like exactly what Virginia believed.” Tristan tells him.

 

“So you assumed Jennifer was guilty, based only on what Virginia told you? Yet, as an officer of the court, instead of calling the police to deal with it, what did you do?” George asked.

 

 “Virginia decided against that, not me. She felt it was better to deal with the situation without calling more attention to it.” Tristan tells him.

 

“In other words, she didn’t want anyone to think the child Jennifer was carrying was possibly my irresponsible son’s child? By going to the police Virginia would also have to explain how the broach, that was kept in a safety deposit box in our bank, not lying around the house, was stolen by Jennifer. Then she would need to explain why she had the broach at the house, since she never wore it. What I want to know is how you convinced Jennifer to give up her baby to Virginia and why I was never told about it?” George asked.

 

“Virginia felt it was better you not be made aware of the pregnancy. She felt you would try to help the girl out since you seemed to have a relationship with the mother. She felt you were a little too close with both of them” Tristan tells him, making me snort with what was being implied.

 

“My only ‘relationship’ with either of them was one of a friend. I had no interest in any woman, including the one I married the day I married Virginia. Now I need a few things answered without going off on tangents. Why would Jennifer be afraid to come to me about it? Who is responsible for what happened to the child after it was born? And what was done with my grandson?” At Tristan’s surprised look George tells him, “Yes, I know it was a boy.” 

 

“We made Jennifer and her mother sign statements that they would not contact anyone in the family or they would risk prosecution. Jennifer was also persuaded to give the child to Virginia if she didn’t want her family to lose what little they had. The rest was done when the baby was born and Jennifer was sent away.” Tristan tells him, avoiding answering the rest.

 

“I WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WAS DONE AND BY WHOM! Your career will ride on your answer, because it decides how I deal with everything.” George tells him.

 

“Jesus George. My firm only did what we were asked. The baby was left at the hospital as we were told to do when Virginia told us the girl admitted it wasn’t your son’s child. Even I felt the child deserved a better chance and did what was asked of me.” Tristan tells him.

 

“Did you ever bother to find out what happened to the baby?” I asked.

 

“Why would I?” Tristan said, looking at me like he wished I was that easy to get rid of. “George, you should be thanking us for cleaning up that mess, since the baby wasn’t your son’s,” Tristan says, as if he did George a favor.

 

“I’m sure after all the threats made to Jennifer she would have said whatever all of you wanted to hear. But unlike you and my soon to be ex-wife, I plan to verify that the child IS my grandson since my son told me the baby was his.” George tells him.

 

“If that’s what you want to do my firm would be happy to help you find him. It might take a while though since I’ll have to find out where the child went. And I’d be happy to deal with all the testing for you personally.” Tristan tells him, likely thinking George would see it as him needing Tristan’s firm.

 

“You really think that after what you and Virginia did I’d trust you to handle it? Or did you plan to handle this the same way? I only have one question left. How did the baby end up with this?” George asks, showing him the teddy bear.

 

“You found the baby!?” Tristan asks, shocked, no longer acting like he was on firm ground.

 

“ANSWER ME!” George tells him.

 

“She came to me when they were escorting her out of the apartment she was living in and asked me to at least let her give it to the baby. She asked for so little through it all that I gave in and left it with the child.” Tristan tells him, as if he felt for Jennifer.

 

“Did she tell you where she got it?” George asked.

 

“I didn’t ask.” Tristan admitted.

 

“I had it made for her. And the child, who kept this all his life while being shuffled from place to place brought it back to me. So no, I don’t need your firm to do any more than you’ve already done. After hearing the kinds of things your firm will do, I couldn’t in good conscience continue to do business with you.” George tells him, as I watch the man pale.

 

“George, we’ve represented you for years. You can’t throw away years of excellent work we’ve done over this one small thing.” Tristan argues.

 

“I can and will. Because my grandson shouldn’t have to put up with you after what you did to him. That child you carelessly tossed away will one day own it all. How does it feel to know the baby you called ‘a small thing’ is now the reason you’ll lose everything you worked for all your life? It won’t just be my company, but quite a few of your other clients, who are, at this moment, being told what you did with my grandson. My new firm will be contacting you by the time you get back to your firm to transfer my account to them. You’d better hurry, because I’m not the only account you lost today. Ron Peterson told me to tell you the Untouchables will be requesting the same.” George tells him, not even having to wave him out, since Tristan ran.

 

I waited for Tristan to leave, before going to George. “Are you sure you want to deal with Virginia right now?” I ask.

 

“It’s time she understands she’s no longer going to continue her life as it has been, since she broke the promise she made to me,” George tells me.

 

Virginia took her time answering George’s demand for her to appear and bristled when he didn’t ask me to leave her presence. Instead, she seemed to think she was still in charge of everything.

 

“I agreed to this meeting for one reason only, to make sure you understand your position. No one on your board has confidence in you anymore. Something you insured by walking away from the family. The life you’ve led recently wouldn’t instill confidence in the board that you're making sound decisions.” Virginia tells him, looking right at me. I waved and smiled because I knew it pissed her off.

 

“I only invited you into my home to give you my conditions if you want to maintain anything close to the lifestyle you love above all else. Understand me clearly. We will divorce. What you came into this marriage with I’ll leave alone, and if our son willingly walks away he won’t lose everything either.” George tells her.

 

“What makes you think I’ll agree to any of that?” Virginia asks, looking down her nose at both of us.

 

“Because I have no problem with our family being dragged through the shit you and our son did, since my life choices will now pale by comparison. I willingly allowed everything to stay the same for years because I didn’t know you’d broken your promise to do what was best for our family long before you gave it. I didn’t care who slept in your bed, but I doubt your best friend will feel the same way. I’m willing to take the blame for not getting our son away from your influence, because your influence turned him into someone I’m ashamed carries my name. Until recently I would have let it all go… but you changed that because you broke your word when you discarded our grandchild for no other reason than you wanted bluer blood. That’s where you lost any means to hold me to my promise. You didn’t do what was best for our family. You asked why you think I can make you agree? You’ll agree because I won’t take any prisoners if you fight me. Trust me, even with my lifestyle, the world will care more that you slept with a child. And believe me, I’ll make sure that’s how they see it, no matter how long ago it was. I’ll make sure you look like the monster you are, by explaining how a young girl in our household was taken advantage of, by not only by our son, but by you. And I’ll make sure the threats you held over her head to take her child will become front page news. Including the way you handed him off without a care about what happened to him. While I’m doing all that you can try anything you want, but without helping yourself to the money you sold yourself to me for. The house you love so much still belongs to me, and will now be sold. All the heirlooms will be returned to me, since they never belonged to you, and you never liked any of them or wore them. All accounts you have access to are being closed as we speak, and an account with the money that is rightfully yours will be set up, but only after you and your son do as I ask. You can try to fight me, and I welcome draining the last of what you have by keeping this in court for years.” George tells her.

 

“No one will believe you, and that girl knows what’s at stake.” She tells him, like it’s her trump card.

 

“I’ll make sure she has all the proof she needs to take you to the cleaners for ruining her life. Test me on it at your own risk.” George tells her.

 

“You’ll be hearing from my lawyers. I will not let our son’s legacy be taken because of a servant,” Virginia tells him.

 

“I wouldn’t put too much hope in Tristan and his firm. They’ll likely be too busy trying to save themselves since they aren’t just losing my account, but the accounts of all the people who still have confidence in me. Tristan knows it’s happening because of you, so good luck.” George tells her.

 

“If you do what you're saying you’ll hurt our child,” Virginia tells him, slightly less sure of her position now.

 

“No more than you and he hurt his child. If you’d cared for our grandson, none of this would have happened. The moment you gave away our grandson, any guilt I felt over my deception in our marriage became null and void. Right now the only thing you need to do is sign the divorce papers and find a new home to rule, because the locks are being changed as you sit here.” George tells her.

 

“You bastard. I gave up everything I could have been for you.” Virginia tells him, getting up and glaring at me one more time.

 

“You might have, but you liked everything being married to me gave you,” George tells her.

 

She got out of the room only to run into the doctor and Justin. “Is there some reason he’s here?” Virginia asked looking at the doctor.

 

“I’m making sure you can’t slam the door to keep our secrets outside it anymore.” George tells him.

 

“I should have handled you long ago.” Virginia tells Justin, glaring at him before walking away.

 

“I should have the results in a couple of days. Anything else?” The doctor asked, looking to me to see if George needed to be checked.

 

 

 

 

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