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I shake ht was best and that will forever be my pain to carry

“So, she kept those test results all these years” Willow rests her head on my shoulder and I stroke her back as she tells e over Derrick and his father Just in case she ever needed it to win the ga is just part of her game Even me”

“Not anyain, Princess Daddy’s never leaving you again”

Right then, Willow’s phone rings I reach into her bag and turn the screen up to see Margaret’s name and number

Willow looks at me Her eyes darken as I turn the phone so she can see who’s calling, and her voice comes out in a powerful burst

“Put her on speaker”

I hit the button and Margaret’s voice seeps out of the phone like poison I’irl, but I can see in Willow’s eyes a tigress has been released and it’s o

“Willow! What have you done? I just got a call from Pierson Marcus! I told you ould happen if you didn’t—“

“Shut up, Mother” Willow sits up straight onto rest on my shoulders “It’s my turn to talk and your turn to listen”

Silence Willow’s tone was enough to quiet a battlefield She takes a deep breath, then continues

“Listen, because this is going to be a short, one way conversation and you need to hear what I have to say” Willow shifts her hips, consciously or unconsciously rubbing herself onher bravado another octave “You won’t exposeyour new client Yourelse upon which I was the fulcrum of your plans Because I know about the DNA test I have the physician's report Okay, so Derrick may not have had intercourse with me, but you knew there was sexual contact You kneas his se! You did less than nothing, you -doer The liar When all along you had the proof! And you knohat? I was sixteen years old And Derrick was eighteen You know, even if I couldn’t prove he took advantage of me when I was impaired, it’s still statutory rape,to report felony sexual abuse on your own daughter?”

She knows if this gets out her career is over The physician’s report shows she had knowledge of the sexual contact Derrick never denied it happened, just denied the little detail about consent That’s enough right there to ruin her

Margaret screams “You’ve ruined not only er as well, Willow You may think you’ve won, but you’ve ruined everyone with your little show Pike——”

“Margaret” I brushWillow’s cheek as I chime in “After all these years, you should know me better than that”

Silence on the other end of the phone as Willow leans down to kiss htly against me before I deliver the final blow