Too Late for Regret novel Chapter 110

I’m Done

Chapter 110

Analise’s POV

“After seeing that video. What did you do?” Rodney asked.

“He was plotting my downfall, as if I somehow deserved it. So, I decided to destroy him instead. He wanted to humiliate me in front of the entire city. He was already using our marital home to play house with Sasha. I couldn’t allow him to continue to disrespect me. The feelings I had for him went away after I saw that video. Seeing him having s*x with her, all over my home, was disgusting. It was like they were trying to erase me from it. I never wanted to enter it again, and I didn’t. I couldn’t live there anymore, so I sold it. I was disgusted by his behavior. Clearly, I never knew him. I went back and watched the videos from the hidden cameras in my home. Joyce and Sasha were telling him what they wanted him to do. All because they thought I couldn’t fight back against them. They thought I was helpless, so they made ruthless plans against me,” I replied.

“And your designs, the ones you allowed him to use?” Rodney asked.

“Roger let several of the contracts lapse. That was a mistake on his part. He thought since I loved him so much, I would willingly just sign them over to him. That’s why he was going through with the fake marriage. He was wrong. I used the fees that he owed me for still producing my pieces, on expired contracts. The penalties almost offset each other. I paid him the difference between them. That, along with losing his investors, severely hurt his company. His mother, Regina, and Sasha continued to show up and cause issues at Fashion Forward once they learned I worked there. They came with the intention of harming the business. People believed what they were saying about me. Which is why, after several warnings, I decided to file the lawsuit. You can’t spread lies, as if they were the truth. I wasn’t going to allow them to drag my company into this. My reputation, and that of my company, had been spotless before they came after me. How could I continue to let them get away with spewing lies?” I answered.

“So that was the reason you filed? Because they started to involve your company in their allegations?” Rodney asked.

“Yes, my company is just as important to me as Roger’s was to him,” Ana replied. “I’ve invested a great deal of time and effort in getting it to where it is today. I’m not going to allow them to damage it because their being petty,” I replied.

“So, your business suffered losses over the slanderous remarks they were making?” Rodeny asked.

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“Yes, due to all their viral videos, our numbers are down this quarter. The amount isn’t negligible; it’s over half a million dollars. Someone is going to have to be responsible for it. This all happened recently, in a sudden drop. Since they deliberately spread lies. I’m holding the three of them liable for my company’s losses. We’ve never taken a loss like this before, not in the eight years we’ve been in operation. I brought supporting paperwork for the last four years. I can get the other four years if needed. This loss was caused by their constant attacks. They’re allegations were not only false, but inflammatory. They worked the public up against me because they thought I was an easy target. They were trying to get me to just give up and hand over my designs. But that was never going to happen. Just like with the first drafts, Sasha claimed as her own. My designs are always protected,” I answered him.

“So, you were able to protect yourself because you knew what they were planning to do?

Were

you able to protect the designs in question before Sasha was able to try to claim them as her own?” Rodney asked.

“Yes. The video made it clear that Roger was going to allow Sasha to claim them. So, I beat them to the punch. Gwen always takes my new designs to be copyrighted. The copyright is in my name. Whether I promoted them at Fashion Forward or at Roger’s company, they were still mine. Every single design that I’ve ever made since I started my company at eighteen has been protected this way. That was something my parents instructed me to do, and it’s worked out. Especially with this case. Plagiarism, unfortunately, is a very real part of the design world,” I replied, glancing over at Sasha. She was gritting her teeth in fury.

“So you were able to protect your new designs before she initially tried to claim them?” Rodney asked.

“Yes, they were. The day after they went on their honeymoon, my designs were copyrighted. I needed to complete my work and clean out my office. I didn’t want to prolong it. After Roger allowed Dixon to write me up for being a little late, it was a slap in the face. I worked my butt off getting his dream off the ground, yet that was the thanks I got for it? That was the moment when I decided I didn’t need to complete the workweek. I’d done more than enough for Roger by that point. I wasn’t about to allow a subordinate to disrespect me like that. I suddenly realized that Roger no longer deserved me or my help. All he ever did was take advantage of me, but I wised up,” I stated coldly.

It still pissed me off thinking about what he had been planning to do to me. The humiliation of knowing that Roger was going to make me a mistress. After all I did for him? My anger was still there, simmering under the surface. I don’t know when that feeling of betrayal will go away. Having to admit what they wanted to do to me, in front of a room full of strangers, was totally demeaning. I kept my eyes on either Rodney or Charlie in order to stay calm.

“No one actually knew who the owner of Fashion Forward was. Do you have any proof that you are who you say you are?” Rodney asked.

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“My name is included on the tax paperwork that I brought in today. I just redacted my social. I filed this lawsuit for everyone who’s ever been stepped on or bullied. Because that’s exactly who these three women are. It was three against one, and they never let up. A day didn’t go by without some sort of problems or issues arising. Texts, phone calls, and threats were made toward me that demanded that I give them my designs or they would never let me go. They showed up a total of four times, but I only interacted with them twice. Gwen added cameras after the first time they showed up. She wanted us to be able to prove the altered sound bites had been made with Al. Sasha and Joyce went all out to attack me. I never approached them. I never did anything to them. Yet they all played the victim because I didn’t comply with what they wanted. Claiming something as yours doesn’t actually make it so,” I

advised.

“Last question, did you pay off the judge. I just want it to be on record. I’m sure that Sasha Cook will attempt to continue on with her allegations,” Rodney asked.

“No. I didn’t. I didn’t have to because I have evidence to back me up. I don’t need to collude with anyone to prove my innocence. I haven’t done anything wrong, and I’m not concerned about an investigation being made. When you’re innocent, you don’t have to worry. I believe that they will find proof of who actually colluded with someone and deal with them accordingly. I will say that I diligently tried to avoid the three of them, but they just kept popping up on me. Even at my wedding. Roger’s mother had been served an official letter advising that the Cook family was no longer welcome. She wanted to cause a scene, and she did. But, no matter what she says, I have proof that she received the delivery,” I announced.

“No further questions, your honor. But I do reserve the right to redirect if needed,” Rodney

stated.

“Your witness, attorney Blake,” the judge advised.

“Mrs. Billingsley, did you bring any videos from Fashion Forward? One from when they returned after the cameras were installed? My clients insist that they’ve done nothing wrong. I think the jury should be able to see what they actually did while they were there. I think it would go a long way to proving they never threatened you,” he suggested.

I had to fight to keep from smiling. I wanted to show that video, along with the other times they showed up with reporters to ambush me. This would definitely reflect poorly on them. I was surprised that he had suggested it. Surely he had to know that the media circus they created would look really bad. I looked at him, and then Joyce and Sasha. They were furious. They knew as well as I did that the video would embarrass them. I knew what he was doing, and I was happy to help. I’m going to play along with him.

“You can play the video, but I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed, Attorney Blake. Your clients have a long track record of forgetting what they said after it is all said and done. I

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can’t believe they would want their lies to be exposed here. Although I’m sure Sasha is really getting used to that happening to her by now,” I stated mockingly.

I didn’t try to hide my amusement and smiled at him. They pushed their attorney to this. If he gets into trouble, I will see if Rodney will help him. He was a good attorney. He just hadn’t been told the truth to come up with an effective defense. They didn’t actually have a defense. It would upset anyone. I felt sorry for him, as Rodney told me before we went to trial that William had believed his clients. That’s on them, not him. He was trying to defend women whom he thought had been bullied. That was something that I could get behind. He honestly didn’t know until Sasha was proven to be the liar that he had been lied, by the three of them,

this entire time.

“I’m glad you agree. After that, we can go over each of the videos the reporters provided. You can walk us through all the alleged bullying and lies that you claim my clients did. I won’t believe it unless I see it with my own eyes,” he replied.

“I think that would be for the best. I’m not the bully they claim I am. It’s best to simply play the videos and let everyone form their own opinion about who the actual victim was. I never wanted it to come to this, but now that it has, I want justice to be dealt. I’m tired of being condemned because of my family name. Automatically wrong, all because Sasha and Joyce had adapted to make their lies fit the narrative. The reason we’re here is because they refused to admit what they had done. Doubling down to try to force me into giving up my work. Trying to use the public outcry, which they deliberately created, in order to pressure me. I welcome the opportunity to walk you through the videos. Please, feel free to ask me any questions you would like,” I replied.