Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 123579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
“I have a husband and a six-year-old,” Shaunti adds, her tone almost defensive. “One wild night in college and…”
She glances at Trevor, as if remembering that he’s present.
“I just…those things couldn’t come out. I had to pull back.”
“We tell you this, Sofie, so that you understand Kyle’s team will come after you with everything.” Karen glances at Trevor, still holding my hand. “And to be frank, you have more than one wild night for them to dig up, most of them well-documented.”
“Which should be an advantage in some ways,” I say. “Everyone knows all my dirt. There’s not much left to expose.”
“The thing is, Sofie,” Karen says, “The statute of limitations in your case, like in Shaunti’s, has expired. This is purely a trial of public opinion. I’ll be frank. As ridiculous as it sounds, being a woman who’s posed for Playboy and been as open as you have about your affairs, your sexuality, doesn’t make you a sympathetic figure in rape allegations.”
Hearing it put that way, especially in front of Trevor, deflates me. You mean to tell me I worked myself up to speak out, to finally tell my story, only to be told my voice isn’t good enough because I like sex? Because I’m not ashamed of my body? I’m about to speak up, when Trevor beats me to it.
“I’m glad you realize that sounds ridiculous, Ms. Sims,” Trevor says. “I find it ridiculous that any reasonably intelligent person would be unable to differentiate between an adult woman having and enjoying consensual sex and an eighteen-year-old girl subjected to a violent crime.”
“It’s okay, Bishop.” I squeeze his hand, wishing he weren’t hearing this. It’s embarrassing to be told everyone thinks you’re too slutty to believe you ever turned down sex, even from a rapist.
“No, it’s not.” He looks at me, his eyes dark and flinty. “Sofie came here to see if she could assist with your efforts in exposing Kyle Manchester for the criminal scum that he is. If you don’t want her involvement, I don’t have to tell you her team is more than capable of handling this without you.”
He leans back, resting one elbow on the seat’s arm.
“But you’d regret that, wouldn’t you, Ms. Sims?” A laugh laced with cynicism passes his lips. “The chance to attach yourself to such a high-profile figure in a case against a powerful man? A case that will garner national attention? You won’t pass up that chance, will you?”
Karen Sims’s cheeks go red. Her nostrils flare. Her mouth tightens.
“Now, you listen here, Mr. Bishop—”
“No, you listen here, Karen. May I call you Karen?” Trevor drops my hand and leans forward, resting a palm on the desk in front of us. “You’ve got about ten seconds to convince us that if Sofie comes forward she’ll have your unequivocal support, and that you will speak with confidence on her behalf. If not, then I’ll advise Sofie to walk right now. Because I can guarantee you there’re a thousand others in New York just like you, but there’s only one Sofie. One person with the kind of international instant recognition, with a profile higher than even Kyle’s, who can actually fight him and win.”
I’m blinking back tears. Why? Because he just stood up for me when no one usually does? Because there’s no doubt he believes me, when my parents don’t? When my parents won’t stand up for me or with me? Because it’s apparent he actually cares about me?
“I was merely advising Sofie that they’ll come after her hard,” Karen says. “And that there will be people who take his side. He’s a very popular man right now. He’s an Independent, but garners a lot of conservative support based on his fiscal positions. If he can rally conservative support against Sofie, it could get really ugly.”
“I understand that,” I say.
“I want to work with you, Sofie.” Karen turns her words and eyes deliberately in Trevor’s direction. “For the right reasons, but you need to know there’s a lot to lose. Do your parents know about this? Your father has been very publicly aligned with Kyle Manchester lately.”
“Yeah, they know.” I lick my lips, hating that I have to say the next words, but it has to be said. “We can’t count on them for support.”
“Your parents don’t believe you?” Surprise stretches Shaunti’s eyes and lifts her brows.
“I think they believe me. They just don’t care.”
The silence that follows my statement is telling. I know what Karen and Shaunti are thinking. If I can’t count on my own parents to side with me against Kyle Manchester, how can I expect anyone else to?
“Okay, well then.” Karen clears her throat. “I’m not asking this in a judgmental way, but just so that we can be prepared for anything.”
“All right. Ask away.”
“I did a little searching before you came.” Karen steadies her eyes on my face. “Just some recon to prepare for your visit.”