Chapter 3 - The Evidence on the Camera
The hospital examination took almost two hours.
The baby was unharmed.
Cassidy cried when she heard the heartbeat.
Her father sat beside her.
“Strong.”
“Very.”
William looked at her.
“Like her mother.”
Cassidy smiled faintly.
“Or him.”
“You still don’t want to know?”
“No.”
William shook his head.
“I never understood that.”
“I want one surprise in my life that doesn’t involve helicopters.”
That made him laugh.
Then his expression became serious.
“Cassidy.”
“I know.”
“You should have called sooner.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
“My marriage was my responsibility.”
“Being mistreated isn’t part of marriage.”
“I know that now.”
William leaned back.
“What happened between you and Brendan?”
Cassidy looked toward the monitor.
“He liked me when he thought I needed him.”
William remained silent.
“When I disagreed with him, his family called me ungrateful. When I wouldn’t ask you for business favors, they called my family useless. Eventually Brendan started believing I was embarrassing him.”
“Why didn’t you tell him the truth after your restrictions changed?”
“Because by then I wanted to know whether he could respect Cassidy without needing General Carter’s daughter.”
“And?”
Cassidy looked at him.
“You saw the answer.”
The next morning, Brendan called eleven times.
Cassidy answered the twelfth.
“What?”
“Cassidy, we need to talk.”
“No.”
“My mother is terrified.”
“She should speak with an attorney.”
“An attorney?”
“You assaulted a pregnant woman.”
“My mother threw water.”
“Dirty ice water.”
“It was stupid.”
“Yes.”
“But nobody intended to hurt the baby.”
“Intent isn’t the only thing that matters.”
Brendan lowered his voice.
“I’m sorry.”
Cassidy paused.
“For what?”
“What?”
“Tell me what you’re sorry for.”
Silence.
Then Brendan said, “For last night.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Cassidy—”
“Are you sorry she threw the water? Sorry you laughed? Sorry Jessica mocked me? Or sorry you discovered who my father is?”
Brendan said nothing.
Cassidy ended the call.
Later that afternoon, her attorney, Rachel Morgan, arrived.
“We have a problem,” Rachel said.
“What?”
“The Hales are claiming you threatened them with military retaliation.”
Cassidy almost laughed.
“Of course they are.”
“They’re saying your father deployed military resources to intimidate civilians over a family disagreement.”
William, sitting across the room, frowned.
“That won’t survive documentation.”
Rachel nodded.
“Probably not. But they’re trying to control the story.”
Cassidy folded her arms.
“So what do we do?”
“We use facts.”
Rachel opened her laptop.
“The Hale residence has security cameras.”
Cassidy stared at her.
“Inside?”
“Dining room, foyer and exterior.”
“Brendan hates being robbed.”
“Apparently paranoia has finally become useful.”
The footage was preserved through legal process before anyone could delete it.
It showed everything.
Diane carrying the bucket.
Brendan watching.
Cassidy standing.
The water.
The laughter.
Jessica’s insults.
Cassidy’s call.
And, critically, Cassidy never threatening anyone.
Three days later, Brendan’s attorney requested an emergency settlement meeting.
Cassidy agreed.
She entered the conference room beside Rachel.
Brendan was already there with Diane.
Jessica was absent.
Diane looked exhausted.
Brendan looked worse.
“Cassidy.”
She sat down.
“Brendan.”
His attorney began.
“Our clients would like to resolve the unfortunate incident privately.”
Rachel smiled.
“Define privately.”
“No public statements. No civil action related to the dinner. In exchange, Mrs. Hale—”
“Ms. Carter,” Cassidy corrected.
The attorney stopped.
“Excuse me?”
“My name is Cassidy Carter.”
Brendan looked down.
The attorney continued.
“Ms. Carter would receive a financial settlement.”
Cassidy almost smiled.
“How much?”
Brendan looked hopeful.
The attorney slid a document across the table.
Cassidy glanced at the number.
Then pushed it back.
“No.”
Diane stared.
“You didn’t even consider it.”
“I don’t need your money.”
“Everyone needs money.”
Cassidy looked at her.
“That belief explains a lot about your family.”
Brendan leaned forward.
“What do you want?”
“Accountability.”
“For what?”
Cassidy stared at him.
May you like
“That question is why we’re still here.”
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