Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 182 -

Весса.

Following the very stressful session in court, I found myself on my back porch, wine in hand, thoughts whirling a mile a minute. My eyes were partially narrowed as I went through everything Sasha had said at court. The jury had expressed a lot of disgust, learning about how Chad really was.

Kennsington, a sexist attorney who no doubt represented the general views of the Cartwrights in seeing women as lesser, especially those with her career path, had shown his true colors as well.

Not that he hadn't before. Problem was, Judge Hopper paid him favoritism.

This entire system was corrupt and disgusting, but I was going to fight it for the sake of Alessandro. I couldn't get it out of my head that the child was going to be doomed to a horrible life if he fell into the hands of Chad.

I believed Sasha wholeheartedly. Chad was an evil person, as was the rest of his family. Hopefully, the jury would actually see the obvious as well. At times, they seemed certain, but that wasn't consistent. My heart hadn't slowed since the questioning.

It was maddening.

Speaking of which, my eyes caught sight of a figure approaching me from the shadows. I tensed, then realized it was just Antoinette coming up the driveway. After a pause, I walked through the house and answered the door right as she softly knocked.

I opened it, giving her a tired smile. "Hello," I said cordially. "How are you, Antionette?"

Some of her blonde hair was being blown into her face, which she quickly reached over and brushed behind her ear. She gave me a delighted smile and said, "I am doing wonderfully, Becca! Dora's been doing so well in school, I could brag about my lovely daughter for days. But, right now, I'm here to talk about something else."

"Oh?" I asked, realizing I should probably invite her in. "Would you like some wine?" Naturally, the only Stepford wife I could call my friend gave a nod, a wine mom to the end. I smiled at that, needing some positivity following that stressful

case.

"Of course, dear, that would be wonderful!" she said, following me inside. I entered the kitchen, grabbing some snacks as well. She followed me briefly before I led her to the back porch, where we settled in some cushy chairs and placed the food and wine on the table.

I poured her a glass, then leaned back, letting out a soft sigh. Antoinette asked, "Enough about me, though. Before I dive into what I'd like to talk about, I must know, how are you holding up? These court sessions must be taking a toll on you." "Yeah," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck and letting out a sigh. "I've lost quite a bit of sleep over this. I'm worried about Alessandro. I just want to give him the best life I can, and I'm certain the Cartwrights will not be the ones he needs."

"Such a sweet mother!" Antoinette exclaimed, beaming at me. She reached over and placed a gentle hand on my arm, causing me to raise my eyebrows. The smile she wore reached her eyes, something I could see in the bright porch light. She continued. "With how you speak about the boy, I think he should stay with you. I hope the jury sees what I do." Her gaze turned a bit dark, and she mutters, "Though, James may bring you down in that."

I tensed, hesitating for a moment before asking, "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, you know," she said casually. "His mafia connections. I don't doubt that will come up. The Cartwrights are very in-the-know about these matters, after all. Much like the wives of the neighborhood, as a matter of fact." "What do you mean?" I asked, intrigued by her implication.

She smiled at me sweetly, though there was a hint of sympathy to her tone when she responded next. There was intelligence, cunning, even, behind those blue eyes that told me she was always watching and listening. My instincts told me that she was someone I could trust, though I didn't quite know why. Maybe it was because she defended me from the verbal abuse of the others so much? Could it be a ploy? I didn't think so.

"Well, dear, they just have a lot of connections, is all. They pay very close attention to everything, like I do! Information is power, after all. They, however, are darling people, but don't generally use this information for good," she explained. "Me? I like a good happy ending for those involved that need it. Them? Well, they are a bit more selfish."

"How so?" I asked, but Antoinette shook her head, giving me a sad smile.

"That is all I can say on that one. Just be careful regarding what you say around them. Or, what little Alessandro says. A fly on the wall cares for its next meal, after all, not whoever is providing it. Buzz buzz buzz," she said, making a flying motion with her hand.

I thought she was trying to lighten the mood, but that definitely wasn't helping. I winced, wanting more information on what she could mean by that, but just let out a sigh. "I'm not sure if this is the place for me," I finally said. My experiences here came flooding to me, bombarding me with unsavory memories. My statement was more true than I even realized, given my stomach was twisting into knots thinking about how miserable it would be for me to stay here any longer. I'd thought we'd like it here so much at first, but I was dead wrong.

The knots in my stomach could be stress overcoming my mind, but I had a feeling that definitely wasn't the case. After a deep breath, I looked toward Antoinette, who was deep in thought. I liked her quite a bit, but that didn't lessen just how much my realization meant to me.

Antoinette thought for a moment before responding, "Well, I do charity work in other parts of the world, myself. Especially in Africa." I nodded, paying attention to what she was saying, but wondering where she was going with this. She went on to explain, "There are a lot of people in need there, after all. I figure if I have so much wealth, I should use it for good. It also allows me to travel. What I replace most important, though, is seeing my impact over time." "Oh? Any examples, or feel-good stories? I could use one of those right now," I admitted, somewhat sheepish on that one. Antoinette chuckled, though not at me, just in merriment. She nodded, beaming.

"Of course, dear. One charity I worked for was sewing little plush dolls and clothes for children in Nigeria. You should see the look on their faces when I give those gifts to them! More than that, though, they keep it for years, eventually either keeping the cloth and repurposing it, or giving them to other children," Antoinette explained, her eyes glimmering with happiness as she told her story.

She grew more excited, however, and reached forward, taking my hands. It was as though she was describing a happy ending to a storybook, the way she spoke.

Her enthusiasm radiated off of her in waves, and I couldn't help but feel a little bit better sitting here listening to her.

That knife of anxiety still twisted in my gut, of course, but the pain was reduced just a little. She reached up and moved a few strands of her hair away from her face before continuing, her eyes glancing up toward the clear, starry sky in thought. "One of my other favorites was the books for people in Chad. Ironic, isn't it?" she winked toward me, trying to leak a bit of humor into the situation. I let myself chuckle, both replaceing it amusing and not wanting to be a spoilsport. She said, "Unlike the man currently causing you problems, the country of Chad has such a bright future, and people with money like me can help it move forward one step at a time. Anyway, my charity works to purchase and distribute important textbooks to their schools. I encouraged the children, when visiting, to pay attention and work hard."

I nodded, smiling at her. "That's wonderful," I said, sharing her enthusiasm. The issue with 'my' Chad was in the back of my mind right now as I focused on 'her' Chad. Antoinette continued to gush, letting out a soft giggle at the work she put into all of this.

"It is. And you know what? We get reports that children who benefit from our program are accepted at a higher rate into good colleges than those who unfortunately cannot yet be included in our work at this time." Her eyes glimmered sadly, and she hung her head.

"What's the matter?" I asked, now concerned. Now, it was my turn to reach out and take her hand, though mine was a comforting gesture as opposed to one out of excitement. My new friend was focused on me and let out a sigh. "Oh, dear. Forgive me. I just really wish I could do everything for everyone, is all. Even missing one child tears a hole into my heart, you know? Anyway, it is just something to live with. I want to help as many people as I can. Anyway, the people we do help definitely benefit from the programs," she explained.

"Sounds like it," I commented, giving her a smile. "You're wonderful for what you do, Antoinette. Thank you for bringing a little bit of cheer during this stressful time. I'm hoping I can do the same for Alessandro. Give him a good life he deserves, I mean. Like you did for those children."

"I know you will if you win this case, dear," Antoinette said. "As for not fitting here, however, it's why I brought up the charities. You have been traveling so much anyway. After the trial, you could look into a cause you're passionate about. Right?"

I furrowed my brow. My focus was so honed in on the trial that I never thought about leaving. A cause I was passionate about? Well...

"I had considered starting a charity in Guatemala at one point. There isn't a reasonable way to do it, though. I don't think James will agree," I said, my voice dripping with sadness at that. James was a bit stubborn. Would he be willing to settle down with me if I wanted to make a difference like that?

"A charity in Central America? I think that's a lovely idea. What a beautiful place to go! But yes, there are a lot of children in need in that area, and I think you could make a real difference," she said. She smiled at me. "You have so much passion, Becca. Share it with the world."

I rubbed the back of my neck, closing my eyes and thinking this through. After a long pause, then a sigh, I shrugged. Truth be told, I was just too unsure and immersed in the trial right now to consider my future. "Maybe..."