CH 34
Marilyn
She sat there hoping that her birth certificate would sort all of this out, and make that man come to his senses. But it did not. Now he was claiming this Marrin woman was also an orphan, and had the same birth date as herself,
Marilyn was lucky that when she’d gotten home from the hospital things like her birth certificate and SS had all turned up at her house. She’d already had a Virginia state driver’s license, it had been found in her handbag and on it was her home address in Bedford, Virginia.
Now here he was pointing out things that could be a mere coincidence, but even Hamilton and Lisa were looking at her now, and she could only shrug. She didn’t know the answer to this, because she didn’t actually remember, and had no memories at all, prior to 8 years ago.
It was starting to bother her now though, all the little things she’d noticed prior to this meeting, or known, now even more things were making connections between herself and this man that had assaulted her, she didn’t like it at all. Her gut was squirming because she had two beautiful boys upstairs that needed her, likely needed her to protect them from this very man was now what a part of her was actually thinking.
“Regardless of what you’re pointing out, Mr Reeves, which at this time is circumstantial at best, Marilyn is, as you can see, an orphan of the state of California. She could well have a twin sister, she doesn’t know about…. could be for all any of us know, a triplet.”
Marilyn saw the disbelieving look on Calvin Reeves‘ face. He didn’t like that answer at all. Hamilton ignored it and went on, “It is also not the reason why we are all in this room now, is it? If you continue to stay on this topic, I’ll end the mediation and the charges will simply remain. Only, I’ll be adding a harassment charge for my client. You’re here to mediate the current charges against you, not to try and prove or disprove your theory about my client’s identity.”
Marilyn sighed internally. Hamilton had warned her this might happen, if Mr Reeves” actual intent was to find out who she was, and not mediate the current situation. That she should say nothing at all, that she was not
to mention her amnesia, because he believed it would likely set this man off into a fit of rage. Considering all
he’d read about the women trying to pass themselves off as Marrin Reeves.
“Correct.” Calvin’s lawyer, Wil, stated, “We are off–topic. My client, of course, admits to his wrongdoing, and will be paying for all medical bills for Miss Stevens‘ injuries.”
“Yes he will be. He’ll also pay for her legal fees and Miss Ridley’s as well, seeing as he’s in the wrong and i wouldn’t need to be here at all, if he could hold his temper, and approach things in a calm, considerate
manner.
ves of
“He’ll be personally apologising to each one of them in full, and we’ll be getting it in writing that M C.R. Technology will never again harass Miss Riddley. That he will in no way contact either of them. This will be the only time he comes near my client from now on.”
That’s a bit hard when I live in this city,” Calvin bit out.
“Hmm, but my client will be leaving with me, and I do believe Miss Riddley has made the executive decision to never return to Texas, so it shouldn’t be a problem for you. No more will any of her book signings be allocated
CH 34
to this state. You can explain that to her fans that live here, the reason why she’ll never return, Hamilton informed them.
Calvin’s eyes moved right to hers, and she could see his jaw was ticking. He was unhappy about that, when in reality he should not only be happy about it, but want it, to never have to see her again. What the hell was the man’s problem?
“You’ll also be compensating for emotional trauma for both of my clients, and the two children travelling with them, who have now been distressed over all that is going on. Them having to see the news, and that their mother was attacked by you, Mr Reeves.”
“What!” both Calvin and his lawyer stated together.
“Yes, there are children travelling with them, and now have fear themselves, are afraid for their own mother’s safety. Their own as well.” Hamilton nodded, and although he’d brought the boys up, he’d worded it so that neither of them would know if they were hers or Lisa’s.
“Your actions not only affected the two women at this table, but those travelling with them as well. It affects their itinerary and will, as I’ve already explained, affect any future book tours that Miss Riddley may attend
later on with future books.”
“May attend!” Lisa grated out. “Marilyn has already stated she’s not ever going to be attending anymore at all. It took me six months to get her to agree to this one, and now Mr Reeves‘ actions towards Marilyn, have seen her refuse any more book tours.
“Which will affect the publishing house, our income, and her income. Book tours help generate interest in her works and bring new readers to her as well. Now she no longer intends to do those at all, because of this man and his psychotic behaviour.
“How is he going to compensate for the lost revenue, for not only Miss Riddley, but the publishing house as well. It could also be seen that other authors won’t sign with us now because we didn’t, or couldn’t protect Miss Riddley when on her first ever book tour.”
Marilyn looked at Mr Reeves and his lawyer. One looked more than ticked off and the other just huffed. “How much do you want?” was grated out of Calvin Reeves. His eyes moved towards her, like this was all her fault, when she’d not done anything wrong at all.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” she stated. She’d just about had enough of his attitude towards her. “You were the one that approached me, were rude to me on purpose, then you attacked me. In no way did I approach you, or start anything. I didn’t even know who you were, not even at my book signing.
“The person behind you told me who you were, and I denied knowing you, because I do not know you. So, stop glaring at me… I don’t appreciate it, I’m not the one at fault here, you are.” She grated out at him.
“Me? You bloody vanished and never came back, and now you pretend you don’t bloody know me.” Calvin grated right back.
“Enough Calvin,” his own lawyer stated, “Leave the room if you can’t be calm and rational about this. Mr. Stevens is right, this meeting is not about who you think Miss Riddley is, and if you do anything out of line, there will only be more backlash for you.”
“She’s” Calvin yelled.
“Out.” Wil yelled right back and actually stood up himself and hauled Calvin Reeves from the conference room
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and closed the door on him. When he turned on his own lawyer, a very angry look on his face.
Wil turned back to face them all. “My apologies.” He sighed a little. “Mr Reeves is eaten away by guilt about his missing ex–wife. He also has emotional trauma where she’s concerned, because he was actually there in Italy and saw the plane, she was supposed to be on crash–landing with his own eyes.”
He walked over and sat back down. “Looking at women that look like Marrin, effects him deeply. It took two weeks of him personally searching for her when no body could be found, in a grief–stricken state, only to find out she wasn’t actually on the plane, and for him to learn she hadn’t died, was simply just missing. No one knows where she is to this day.
“We’ll do this without him. Let’s talk numbers, and please be reasonable and considerate. “Everyone, it appears, has trauma of their own to deal with.” Wil sighed a little.
She sat there and internally sighed, as she listened to William lay it all out, why his client couldn’t see straight with her in the same room. What she’d just heard was also likely to be the very reason, Mr Calvin Reeves was so obsessed with women that looked like his ex–wife. He’d been there to see the plane crash, and thought she’d died, grieved her and now women that looked like her tried to claim they were her.
Five of them from what Lisa had found out, over the past eight years, she was likely, in that man’s eyes, nothing more than just another one of those women trying to get to him just for his money. A part of her she guessed could understand him and his anger with women that looked like Marrin.
She could even understand his need to know if she was his missing ex–wife. But why would he attack her if he thought she was that person? Wouldn’t he just be happy to see her and know she was alright? That part didn’t make sense to her at all, unless he was cruel and had been abusive towards his wife, and that was why she’d disappeared, to escape him.
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