Page 40 of Scooter's Endgame
“Thank you, Your Honor. I’d like to call Mr. Jefferson Grimes to the stand.”
“Mr. Grimes please take the stand.” A smug look on his face, Jeff – neat as a pin in what appears to be a bespoke suit I’ve never seen before – takes the stand. “Bailiff, you may proceed,” the judge says.
The bailiff takes him through his oath to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” If it weren’t for the fact that this farce is no laughing matter, Jeff promising to “tell the truth” would be laughable. I’m not sure he remembers what the truth looks like anymore.
“Thank you, Mr. Grimes. You may be seated. Mr. James.”
“Thank you, Your Honor.” The man shuffles through some papers on the desk before him, nothing more than showboating, I’m sure. “Mr. Grimes, you’ve brought this case before the courts. Could you please tell us why?”
“A short while ago, my fiancé and I split. Recently, it’s come to my attention that she’s moved in with a man – one of my military colleagues – and I’m concerned about that. My son is six and very impressionable.”
The words fall out of the smarmy bastard’s mouth with ease, and I want to scream at how easily he lies, portraying the concerned father. When, God knows, he’s never given a rat’s ass before.
When I first met Jeff, he seemed so sweet and caring. For a girl like me, his attention was heady. Growing up in a home where my mother was hammered, more often than not, and there was never money because she’d gambled it all away as soon as she got any in her greedy little hands; the contrast was insane. He seemed so stable. Stability being something not often experienced with my mother.
Because of her gambling and drinking addiction, we moved often since she wouldn’t be able to pay the rent. With Jeff, life initially seemed so wonderful. At first all was great. I felt cherished and cared for. That was until I saw him for who he really was.
I’ll never forget the day I realized that history was simply repeating itself. The very life I thought I’d escaped from. Just like my mother before him, Jeff turned out to be a gambler – different game, same results. While my mother was addicted to slot machines; horses and cards were Jeff’s weakness.
When I discovered I was pregnant with Luke, he promised me things would be different. He’d get help. He’d stop the madness. But, of course, he never did. In fact, if anything, things got a whole lot worse. Then the night he pushed me down the stairs in a fit of pique after losing a substantial amount of money, the damage became irreparable.
The love I thought I felt for him died an agonizing death as he began to treat me more and more poorly. Until Luke was born. That was the final death knell of our relationship. He blamed me for our boy’s illness, never once taking responsibility for being the one to cause it. And I’m ashamed to admit that I stayed because, even with the constant losing of money, finances were still more stable with him than without him.
Even when there wasn’t cash, at least there were the health benefits and guaranteed housing because of his job. It meant I didn’t have to worry about paying for Luke’s healthcare or about a roof over his head, despite how miserable I’d become. Especially as more of his true nature surfaced the longer we were together.
Right at the end, before we split, life under the same roof was unpleasant, but I stuck it out for Luke’s sake. Despite the financial fear of being on my own, there was still an overwhelming sense of relief to be away from Jeff and his toxic treatment of us.
But I should have known he’d find a way to mess with me. As our relationship deteriorated, it was as if he actively sought out ways to hurt me. There’s no easier way than going after the one thing that means everything to me in this world. And now, here we are.
“Asshole,” I hear Beckett mutter under his breath, pulling me from my thoughts.
“I warned her more than once about those stairs, but she always knew better, you know. And then she fell, causing Luke to come early. The doctor said his poor health is a direct result of her falling.”
My body goes ice cold at Jeff’s words, and it takes everything in me to remain seated, when all I want to do is jump up and yell that he’s a liar at the top of my lungs. The outburst would only hurt my cause, but man, it’s difficult.
Through the course of the morning, there are a million more moments that I want to rail at him for the lies he’s spewing to what seems to be a captive audience. The man can be charming and charismatic when he wants or needs to be. All I can do is pray the judge remains impartial, as she’s meant to, and not get taken in by this lying bastard.
All of which is causing me massive anxiety since I have no idea how I’m going to prove that he’s lying to the court, under oath, without making it look like a case of sour grapes. By the time we break for lunch, I have a pounding headache.
While we wait for people to exit the room, Beckett turns to me, a pissed-off look on his face and a compassionate light in his eyes. “I need to make a quick phone call once we’re outside. I won’t be long, okay?”
“No problem,” I reply. I mean, what else can I say? But it’s hard watching him walk away, praying that Jeff won’t come over and start something.
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SCOOTER
Impatiently, I listen to the ringing of the phone on the other side. I can see Kathleen from where I’m standing, keeping an eye on her. I doubt Gonzo’ll start anything outside the courthouse – only because his attorney will have told him not to, but he’s stupid enough to ignore good advice when it suits him.
“Yeah?”
“Well, good morning to you too, sunshine.” I have to smile at Tex. He’s never been a man of many words.
“Good morning, darling. Sleep well?” Sarcasm drips like molasses from every word, and this time I can’t help but laugh out loud.
“Actually, I did, thanks.” His snort of amusement is clear over the line. “On a serious note, our friend is being an even bigger dick than we thought he was going to be. But even I didn’t realize just how much he’d lie under oath.”
Tex doesn’t say a word, but I swear I hear him growl like a feral animal. “And the smarmy bastard has weaved his tale of deceit so well that the minute Kathleen gets up there and disputes what he’s said, it’ll look likeshe’sthe one that’s lying. So what did you manage to find out that we can use? Because I really need to burn this douchebag’s ass for all to see.”
