Too Late for Regret novel Chapter 83

Not Going to just Let Her Go

Not Going to just Let Her Go

Chapter 83

Ana’s POV

Thank God for Charlie. He always knows how to calm me down. Lunch was nice. We had lunch with his grandparents and mother at their restaurant. I had found out that Charlie had asked them not to come. He

knew that this trial was humiliating for me, and he didn’t want to make a hard situation even harder. He knew

I would worry about their opinion of me, so he explained why he hadn’t wanted them there.

It was another reason I loved his family. They already loved me and had welcomed me with open arms from the first time we met. Charlie hadn’t wanted to add to my stress over the situation. They assured me that

their love for me would never waver. All three of them had assured me that no matter what, I would never

need to doubt how they felt about me. They also pointed out that I hadn’t done anything wrong. Charlie had

given them the gist of things.

They didn’t know everything, but they knew enough to be concerned. I was very thankful for their support.

That was the only thing they wanted for me, to be happy and loved. Charlie always made me feel like that. We

sat in the SUV for a while once we got back. I was in no rush to return. I already knew that Hudson and

Naomi would want to speak to me again. Charlie was already instructing Drew to take the lead, and he and

Jon would flank me. They couldn’t keep them from speaking to me, but they were going to keep them and

Holden away from me.

We were actually allowed early entry again. So we managed to slip through the door before they could approach us. Once Rodney arrived, I went to our counsel table with him. I already knew that Charlie wanted to speak to Holden about what happened yesterday. Charlie assured me that once we arrived home today, the

gate would be blocked.

I didn’t want them to get into a fight, but I knew that Charlie wouldn’t want to do that in here. I didn’t care if Holden got in trouble or not; I just didn’t want Charlie to get in trouble. It could affect his business. Drew and Jon sat in the front row, spaced out to leave room for Charlie, but anyone else would have to sit elsewhere. I knew the Vaughns were coming soon, so I asked Rodney what happened at lunch.

“They spent the whole time implying that Tiffany was young and hadn’t realized what she was doing to you in high school. They got really pissed off when I mentioned that she was older than you. They also didn’t like it when I mentioned that she had lied to not just them, but to your parents as well. She knew exactly what she was doing. She also ensured that you would continue to be bullied after she graduated. I can’t believe that they’re still trying to excuse her behavior,” Rodney replied.

“Did you mention that she might have been young back in high school, but what about what she did a month ago? Or earlier today? Or are they excusing that as well?” I asked.

“I mentioned it after hearing the twenty–minute lecture about how this trial could ruin her future. They want to do anything to stop that from happening. They did mention that if she did marry the man in question, she would be gone. That they wouldn’t allow her to return. They’re willing to do that, just to make sure that you’re happy with the deal. But they didn’t like what you wanted in return,” Rodney responded.

“I knew they wouldn’t. Her giving a public apology is tantamount to an admission on her part. They want to sweep it all under the rug. Make it all go away. Tiffany would still get the benefit of a husband who would

(Not Going to just Let Her Go

Mary Enges

take care of and spoil her. They want to throw money at the problem, but I already have money. I also have nightmares that returned after Tiffany’s last assault. It’s been years since I had one, but I can’t control when they come. They happen at least once a week now. I’m so glad that Charlie is there with me. He always manages to make them go away,” I replied.

I was speaking the truth. I don’t know what I would do without him. He helps me calm down enough to fall back asleep. His arms wrapped around me to keep the bad dreams away. I’m so thankful for him. Phonestly believe that I wouldn’t be happy, or where I am at this point, without him. I’m actually a little scared by how

much I love him. I’ve never been very successful in matters of the heart before. I was honestly scared to try again. I was going to throw myself into work and ignore everything else, but Charlie proved that he’s not like

Holden or Roger.

The Bailiff from earlier, the one who took Tiffany to one of the cells in the back, walked up to our table. “You’ll need to sign this, Rodney. This paperwork will include the updated charges for the attempted assault on your client. The judge wrote it out himself. She’s been threatening me and anyone who comes near her this whole time. She has no idea that threatening to ‘kick our ass‘ is simple assault. The judge will bring up those charges for us after your case is complete. I could bring her in earlier, but she’s been nothing but trouble for the three of us for the last two hours,” he advised.

Tiffany does tend to endear herself to people. That happens when she considers them to be beneath her. Spoiler alert: She considers everyone to be beneath her. This was going to really piss her off, especially if he intends to embarrass her. She is likely to be disruptive, at the very least. I’m actually looking forward to seeing what happens when she’s brought back into the room. I can’t see her being peaceful about it, no matter how bad she looks in front of the jury. She is already planning to change her attorney. I just don’t know if she will be able to do so without an actual reason.

I heard Charlie’s footsteps moving away from me and knew that Holden had returned. He and Seth were entering with the Vaughns, but my parents weren’t with them. I wondered if something had happened at lunch, but before I could ask, Tiffany’s attorney came out from the back. I guess he had been speaking to Tiffany, and he looked upset. His easy slam–dunk case had changed. It was now much more serious than he had treated it. He knew Mr. Vaughn wanted to have him traded out.

It didn’t matter to me that he didn’t look into things. His client wasn’t innocent. As a defense attorney, he should have assumed that there were some truths to my claims. He should have paid proper attention to the evidence. Rodney had never hidden anything from us. He could have reviewed what we had all along, since it was filed. His willingness to believe Tiffany’s lies was what got him here in the first place.

I heard raised voices in the back of the room and turned to see Seth looking at Holden in shock. I guess Charlie told him what Holden did yesterday. They knew they were being watched, and Seth quickly walked away from Holden.

Seth spoke over his shoulder, “Go sit on Tiffany’s side of the courtroom. We don’t want or need your support. There is something seriously wrong with all of you. I don’t know how your family came to be like this, but don’t expect any help from us again. I know that Mom and Dad will back me up on this.”

Holden looked like Seth had slapped him. Hudson Vaughn saw me looking at them and approached the door between where we were and the gallery. “Ana, please consider letting Tiffany go. We will send her away to be married. You won’t ever have to worry about her returning, if you’re willing to work with us,” he assured me. “You said that earlier. But Rodney told you what I wanted in return. You’re not willing to make Tiffany deliver a

Not Going to just Let Her Go

sincere apology to me on her social media platforms,” I replied. I wanted him to know that Rodney had told me their offer. They weren’t going to allow her to be humiliated like that. It hadn’t occurred to them that she had humiliated me and instructed other people to humiliate me over and over again. It wouldn’t kill her to apologize.

“But she can’t do that. You know as well as we do that she wouldn’t agree to do that. It’s an admission of guilt, and it will reflect poorly on our family. Our businesses will suffer. Could you please pick something else, Ana? Don’t you care about us at all? You know we love you. We chose you to marry our son. I don’t know how

everything fell apart, but you’re like a member of our own family. You were meant to be a Vaughn all along. I

don’t know how this ended up so badly, but I’m sorry. What can we do, as her parents, to fix this?” Hudson Vaughn asked.

“So, to be clear here, Mr. Vaughn. I can be humiliated and assaulted by your daughter, but my wanting justice for what she did is too much? Do I not deserve to be defended? Do her actions not warrant punishment?! bore the brunt of everything she did to me. Thad to suffer in silence for years because of her. Yet I’m supposed to just let this go, for her well–being? For her benefit? You all listened to her lies about why I was so hurt, physically and emotionally. You all tried to bully me into letting my ‘petty‘ issues with her and Holden go? What constitutes a reasonable punishment for what she’s done?

Tiffany might have hurt me, but I’m going to beat her in the end. Everyone is going to find out what she did, but I’m still standing. I still won in the end. She didn’t break me because I’m stronger than she knows. I survived everything she threw at me, and I’m still standing

She might have won several battles, but I’m going to be the one who ends up winning the war. I couldn’t wait for her to realize that. I hope that it registers with her while I’m still around to see it. Money talks, and this isn’t over. She might end up marrying the man her mother picked for her, but he doesn’t really want Tiffany: he wants a trophy wife. I’m not sure if he will be able to stop her from coming after me.

They know as well as I do that she isn’t going to forgive and forget. She’ll try to get me back. She won’t let me go; she’ll come at me harder next time. She’ll want me to suffer for letting everyone know what she did to me. She’ll definitely learn from this, if only to do better and not get caught the next time around. I saw her face earlier; she wants me dead.

They might not know who they’re dealing with, but I do. She will never stop, so I can’t let her off with just a bare minimum punishment. She scarred me, intentionally. She chose to come after me and hurt me, time after time. She was deliberate in everything she did to me. Why would I do anything less than that to her? They should look at the positive. I’m saving her from a loveless marriage.

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