Losing Lauren Ortega as a sympathetic ear meant I needed a new one. I couldn't turn to Victoria. She was too close to the problem. Besides, there are things I can't share with my daughter, not about her father. Luckily, I do have someone to turn to. I've had someone for a while, if I'm being honest. His name is Richard. He's a cop. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Fool me twice and all that. He might be a cop, but he's not like Larry. He can leave the job at the door when he ditches his gun and badge for the night. Larry never switched off. He's a cop down to his core, even if he's a bad one.
Richard has been good to me and for me. He's listened without judgment and offered advice when I've asked for it. He's given me options and helped me see beyond the crap to the possibility of a good tomorrow in my future. The best thing he's done for me is make me feel like a woman again. I can't tell you how good it's been to get myself back.
Richard's been helping me see my way beyond Larry. When Larry pushed for greater custody rights, Richard told me to hire a PI to dig into Larry's less than savory life. He could have done this for me, but cops don't screw brother cop over. Cop bullshit, I know, but I also understood he couldn't tarnish his name with Larry's corrosive ways.
I have to admit that to get my way we've crossed some lines. It's nothing Larry doesn't deserve. I'm doing it for the right reasons, but I don't like having to stoop to Larry's level to catch him.
Have you shared Lauren's reports with Richard?
ReplyDeleteYes I have. But he says Larry isn't going to be a problem and that I shouldn't worry.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how he can be so sure - the courts can be so unpredictable, a cop should know that.
He wants me to call off Lauren completely and give up on the investigation. We've argued a couple of times about it actually - he's quite adamant. But so far I'm sticking with it.