He wished he could say that it was the easiest money that he had ever made in his life, but it came with consequences that he would live with for the rest of his life. Perhaps the most damning was the realization that he was a rapist. Something that he never in his life considered himself to be, but once Vera opened his eyes to her perspective of what happened that faithful night and after being violated himself, it was more than evident that he could not dismiss her feelings simply because he didn’t see it that way.
The truth of the matter was that he had been selfish and only thought about the money. He took Nigel’s words for face value and truly thought that he hadn’t done anything wrong as it pertained to that night. In fact, he had just about erased it from his mind until Vera showed up inside of his home.
That night was the worst night of his life. Since her initial visit he found it hard to sleep at night many times. His mind constantly was thinking that she may have found her way into his home again. That night was the moment he knew he had to turn over a new leaf in his life.
“So, I guess you are gone, eh?”
Freezing in his tracks, Herschel wondered how she kept doing that. He knew he had locked the door. His windows were always secured. But her voice was one he would never again forget for as long as he lived.
“Listen, I’m just getting the rest of my things and then I’m out of here. I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me.”
Turning towards the intruder, Herschel wondered what further business she had with him. His heart started to beat swiftly as he plotted his escape if needed.
“Calm down, I’m not here to harm you.”
“I would hope not. I followed all of your instructions. I left my job. I changed my personal number to make sure your ex-husband couldn’t reach me. And yeah, I’m out of here. I don’t want anything else to do with this.”
The man was visibly shaken. She was certain that he had gotten the news of Nigel’s death the same way she had heard.
“And you are free to leave.”
“I’m sorry, I’m confused as to why you are here?” Herschel looked at her very intentionally. The woman though small in stature scared the life out of him. He knew first hand how lethal she could be even if not deadly. The sight of her was making him cringe. She took all power from him.
“Herschel, calm down. I just wanted to see you off. I’m sure by now you have heard about Nigel.” Vera looked for the reaction behind the man’s eyes. No matter what lies a person may say out of their mouth, it was always their eyes that never could tell a lie. This was something that she paid attention to in most people when she spoke with them. It was always important to look someone directly in their eyes.
“Uh… yeah I heard. So, our business should be done right?” The man was nervous. He didn’t know what to expect from this very unpredictable woman.
“Perhaps. That’s why I am here. I still have to deal with the estate. Nothing has changed until I get what I want ultimately. This is not a life or death situation. With that said, I need you to understand that there may be a time that I need to reach out to you in order to follow through with our plans. If that happens, I need you to be ready. Also, I need you to understand that no matter where you go, I’ll be able to find you. I’ve already proven that I could find you once, I’m resourceful. Don’t make me have to ask you twice.”
Herschel felt defeated. He was so sure that with Nigel’s death came reprieve. Alas it appeared that the woman was prepared for every possible outcome. He hated that he was so intertwined in her plans. There was something about her that rubbed him the wrong way. As it should. The last time this woman stood in his home she spent an entire night drugging and violating his person. He had every right to feel a way about her regardless of her paying him to switch sides. He only prayed that she didn’t know about him going to Nigel before he accepted her offer formally.
“I’ve got it. I honestly hope that I never have the pleasure of hearing from you again.”
“Oh, now see that hurts my feelings. But I won’t take it personal.” Vera blew him a sarcastic kiss in the air before turning on her heels to leave.
He watched as she switched out of the door. One thing that couldn’t be denied was her natural beauty. Had this been a different time under different circumstances he would have easily attempted to court her. But his gigolo days were over. He had turned over a new leaf.
Waiting to ensure that she was completely gone, Herschel collected the little of what was left and left the residence for the last time. It was time for him to start his new life. Hopefully away from this chaos for the last time.
30
Vera stood in a jet black pant suit alone in front of her ex-husband’s grave. Everything about the moment was anticlimactic. Nigel had once again somehow managed to control the outcome of their situation even in death and that perturbed her soul.
The day was overcast and cold, much like her heart as she stared tearless at the man’s grave. Just a week prior she was on course to complete the final stage of deconstructing the legacy of Nigel Washington. The press conference went off without a hitch and she had filed the necessary paperwork to press charges against him for his crimes against her.
However, once he died, everything came to a screeching halt as the police department saw no reason to pursue the situation any further against a dead man. Worst than that she now would have to start almost from the drawing board as she prepared to fight with the Washington estate for what was justifiably hers and her son’s. The straw that broke the camel’s back perhaps was the way his death overshadowed what she could prove he had done to her in the media. People who she knew full and well couldn’t stand the man were grieving his loss in a very public way. It was as though her story had been completely forgotten about.
He had taken so much from her. Somehow in her spirit she felt as though his death did not mean that it was over. It was just that she had to restructure plans that were so elaborate and she was personally drained.
“I never thought that I’d see you here.”
Vera did not need to turn to know who was standing behind her. Dalia always found a way to make her presence known. That was something that she had admired and loathed about the woman. It was also a trait that she had absorbed for herself over the years. Be a presence that is felt. That was Dalia Washington.
Alas, Vera did not budge. Instead she just stared even longer at the grave of a man she would never see again. She thought about all the times that she wanted to take his life with her own hands. There was so much to her deep rooted hatred for the man. She only wished that she could let that feeling fade with the brisk wind that cut through her like a knife.
“Dalia,” was the only response that she made. There was no need to engage in conversation further with the woman. Still, she did not feel the need to move an inch.
“I never thought you were the ‘paying respect’ type.” The older woman said as she laid a fresh bouquet of flowers on her son’s grave.
“I’m not. Your son doesn’t deserve my respect.”
“Then why are you here?” Dalia’s voice matched Vera’s tone. There was a distinct hint of sarcasm that laced every syllable she spoke.
“I don’t know. I thought that maybe coming to see that he is really gone would make me feel something. But it doesn’t. I feel nothing for this man.”
“You could have fooled me.” Dalia scoffed.
“What are you talking about?”
“Why else would you go through so much to tarnish my son’s legacy if you didn’t feel anything? Oh, you feel something. Even if that feeling is hatred, you feel something.”
Vera got quiet. Dalia was right. She hated Nigel with every ounce of her spirit. Only she had been so good at hiding her true feelings over the years so that she could achieve her goals that she had forgotten that it was there. That feeling of hatred.
“I never loved Nigel.”
“Well that part is clear.” Dalia let out a high-pitched shrill. If th
e woman who was keeping her company did nothing else, she was entertaining.
“Dalia, you know nothing about your son and what he was capable of. I have not done anything to him or his legacy that he did not deserve.”
“Maybe Nigel wasn’t the best person in the world but he hardly deserved the mud you were about to drag him through. I’m more than certain you are the reason that he had that heart attack behind the wheel of his car. My son was perfectly healthy before all of this. He simply could not deal with the stress of all these allegations you were bringing to him. Rape charges, an illegitimate child…”
“My son is very legitimate.”
“A sperm bank donation hardly makes your child legitimate.”
For the first time in their conversation Vera looked at Dalia directly in her face. “It would do you well to tread lightly when it comes to my son.”
“Oh, please Vera, just because my son didn’t know how to do his research doesn’t mean that I am the same. I thought you would have realized that by now. Yes, I know all about your surrogate and the illegal insemination of my son’s sperm into the egg placed in her. The same way money can buy you options, it can buy me answers. I knew there had to be a reason that your entire marriage you couldn’t carry a child and now all of a sudden you have one with my son’s DNA.”
Dalia searched Vera’s face for a response. If there was one thing as a mother, she should have known better than to mess with, a child should have been off limits. But as far as Dalia was concerned, being the grandmother of the child, she had every right to speak on the matter.
Vera slowly removed the opaque shades that were covering her eyes. Stepping closer to Dalia and looking her directly in her face she began to speak slowly and deliberately.
“Your son was born a demon with no remorse. He took from me way before I even knew his name.”
“Now you are the one speaking in riddles. What on earth are you talking about dear?”
“July 4th, 1997. Does that date ring any bells for you?”
Dalia thought for a moment before speaking, “I can’t say that it does.”
“It should. It’s the day your son committed vehicular manslaughter from drinking and driving on his way home from a fourth of July party. He took the lives of a couple who were innocent. Your son at the time was still considered a minor at the time, therefore between that and the influence of his parents’ money, he was able to walk away from the situation with community service which he completed before going back to his cushy boarding school. How about now? Do you remember that?”
The color drained from Dalia’s face. It was as though she had seen a ghost. That indiscretion from her son’s past had been sealed. She wondered how she could possibly know about that. “How… how….”
“How did I know about your son’s past? That couple he killed from underaged drinking, they left behind a set of twin teenagers. My brother and I. And as you can see, we managed to survive just fine. But you have no idea what we have had to do in order to do so.”
Stumbling back a few steps, tears began to flood Dalia’s eyes. She knew the couple had died that her son had gotten into a car accident with in his youth. She never cared to follow up and now everything was starting to make sense.
“So, all of this was what?”
“I know you think it was about the money, but you couldn’t be more mistaken. I wanted him to feel the pain of losing everything like me and my brother had to that night. Nothing was by happenstance. I guess it’s just karma that he died the same way my parents were killed. I can assure you that I had way more in store for him.”
“So, the rape, the child…”
“Oh, all of that was very real. Like I said, your son is evil. He set me up. I returned the favor. Our child is legitimate, regardless of the way that he came into this world and he will be loved. He will grow up to know the difference from right and wrong. All the sacrifices that I have had to make over the years will be worth it for my son. Believe that.”
Dalia was seldom at a loss for words. She had always known that her son’s ways would catch up with him one day. She only wished that she had been a better mother to him.
Vera started to walk away. She was done. There was nothing else to say.
“Wait,” Dalia started behind her. “I’m sorry about, well everything. Will you allow me a chance to make this right?”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“Please, just give me a chance. You are right. My son was terrible. Before he passed, I was actually working to secure a financial future for your son, my grandson. I would love it if you allow me to become apart of his life.”
“I’ll have to think on that.”
“Well at least can we exchange phone numbers so we don’t have to keep meeting like this?”
“That I can do.”
31
Vernon and NJ were playing in the front room when Vera walked in the house. It made her heart feel warm seeing the two men in her life that meant the most to her.
“Hey sis,” Vernon greeted as he lifted his nephew in the air only to bring him crashing down swiftly but safely in his arms. Vera’s heart skipped a beat only slightly. She knew that her son was in good hands. She never had to worry about NJ’s well being when he was with his uncle.
“Hey guys. Everything okay in here?” She said as she walked over to the living room couch and kicking her shoes off. There was a certain and definite peace that swept over her when she entered her home. This was her safe space and Vera would do everything in her power to ensure that it remained a source of peace for her loved ones as well.
“Oh, we were just doing some male bonding. You look like you’ve had a rough day. Everything alright?” Vernon worried about her ever since the news broke about Nigel’s death. For more than a decade the long con had been apart of her existence. Now with the untimely passing, things were suspended in the air like a cliffhanger.
“Yeah, I’m just drained to be honest. Thank you for watching NJ for me while I ran out. I just didn’t feel like calling the nanny in to sit with him and he loves you.”
“You don’t have to find a reason for me to spend time with my nephew. I love him just as much as you. Before I forget, a courier came by earlier. Mail is on the kitchen table.”
Vernon turned his attention back to his nephew as he left his sister to discover what he already knew was waiting for her. Not wanting to get up from her resting place but sensing an urgency in her brother’s voice, Vera walked over to the kitchen table to retrieve the brown legal sized envelope.
Opening to reveal the contents, her eyes began to bulge out of her head as she read over the paperwork. “What, what is this?”
“NJ, why don’t you go in your room for a bit? I need to talk to your mom alone.” The meek child followed directions without question. That was one of the amazing things about him. He wasn’t a child that needed to be told what to do time and time again. He was a good boy. Vera vowed to keep him that way as long as she possibly could.
“Vernon, what is this? I don’t understand.”
“Remember I told you I was working on somethings of my own? Let’s just say I saw an opportunity and jumped on it.”
With tears in her eyes, she looked up at her brother needing more information. “No sir, you need to explain this.”
“While you were working your con, I had one of my own. You remember Levi, Nigel’s lawyer?”
“Yeah. Of course I do. I’ve known him for years.”
“I saw the way Nigel treated him at the laboratory that day we went for the DNA testing. I saw an opportunity to get in his ear. Something told me that he could use a listening ear and wanted a way to pay Nigel back for the way he treated him. So, I worked my charm to get close to him and convinced him to adjust a few legal documents for Nigel. Luckily for us, Mr. Washington has always been quick to sign things without fully reading them. So, a few signatures here and there and you are the new majority owner of Nigel Washington Enterprises.”
“Nigel never would have agreed to this if he had known.”
“That’s the thing. Levi told me that Nigel had so many business deals on the table at one time he didn’t really know his up from down without the help of Levi’s firm. It seems as though Nigel wasn’t as savvy as he made it seem. Everything you are looking at is one hundred percent legit. Levi came up with the plan and had Nigel sign off on the partnerships before his passing. The final documents had just so happened to be delivered to Nigel’s home along with all of his other files as Levi dropped him as a client.”
“Savage!”
“Well you know we don’t like leaving things hanging in the air. Seeing how we were getting so much push back to our request even given court orders, I’d figure it was time for me to work my magic and ensure that you would finally get what you worked so hard for all these years.”
Vera put the paperwork down on the table and faced her brother, “Vernon, I have to come clean about something. This was never about money for me. I’ve been very smart with money over the years and can live off of the investments alone without ever working again in my life.”
“Oh I know.”
“You did?”
“Sis, they were my parents too. No matter how many years that passed by I never forgot what happened to them. Why do you think I’ve never pushed back when you told me in the beginning what you were planning to do? I knew exactly who Nigel Washington was even if I didn’t know all you planned to do.”
Feeling guilty, Vera dropped her chin to her chest. “I feel so embarrassed. I know that you must have that thought that I had gone off the deep end.”
“No, I understood your need to avenge our parents. So, I remained your support. Even during the times when I wondered how you were doing when you had to go into silent mode, I understood why. This wasn’t just another con for you. This has always been deeper than anyone will ever understand. And while we have always walked on the edge together, I knew you had to do this alone. Just don’t think that I wasn’t going to do what I had to do to protect you.”
The Confident Woman Page 13
