In The Shadows

Chapter 20

The Pinnock family meeting commenced at eight p.m. on Saturday. The location being the first penthouse to be occupied by Deidri and the girls.

"Why is Leigh-Anne here? She's ten. She doesn't know what's good for her." Sairah said at the kitchen table. Their mother sat at one end and their dad was at the other. Sian and Leigh-Anne sat across from Sairah.

"Because she's part of this family too and a lot of this revolves around her." Said the father. "Okay Deidri what are you saying? We shouldn't divorce because the outcome is too uncertain? That your lawyers would have decimated me so badly that the judge wouldn't even consider me as a plausible guardian for our child?" He said.

Deidri's arms were folded and one leg was crossed over the other. "You heard all my points already and you know it. Like I said, with the way the trial's being set I'm going to look like the crazy woman with childhood trauma whom her incompetent husband didn't keep enough of an eye on while they raised a family. And let's not forget that I made you. Every job you got was because of me. Even back then. Do you really think that a jury is going to want you anywhere near your child if they're told that you don't have the instincts or life skills to keep yourself afloat? You're pathetic Josh. And you know it. Even if you kicked me to the curb now and took over all the businesses they'd fall flat in seconds. Because you've only gotten this far in life because of me and dumb luck." She shrugged.

"Damn." Sairah wanted to hear what their father's comeback to that would be.

Joshua's face was as hard as stone. "You don't know for sure that that will happen. Yes I've been absent but we all know that it's either been due to work- which I needed to do when we had no money to keep food on the table- or your own manipulation. I gave my lawyers all the examples and the facts. How you got into my head and forced me to believe that if I turned away for a second that things would come crashing down and we'd end up struggling again. It was all in my mind constantly and was the reason I kept going and going, thinking this was best. You always said that I needed to be grateful and take it all on no matter what. Even if it meant not seeing you guys. I was doing my part. And back then it was the same. I just . . . look they have the details and you're the monster okay? Because you are." He gestured to the girls. "Let's not forget how you abused them! You practically abused me too. Mental abuse."

"Are we having the trial here or something?" Sairah asked no one.

Deidri chuckled and sat back. "You still look like a fool Josh. And with the beasts I have at my side, you're going to look even worse." She turned to Leigh-Anne. "And when the trial is through little Lee-Lee here will be shipped off to Jamaica to grow up in less than appealing conditions. Your parents aren't flat broke but they're not wealthy either. She'd be living averagely in a third world country."

Leigh-Anne gulped while gripping the sides of her chair.

"A third world country that won't have provisions for whatever the hell she's got. And who's to say your parents will be able to put up with her?" Deidri challenged.

Josh opened his mouth.

"And let's say somehow you do get custody and we split the shares and you take care of Leigh-Anne from now on. Can you handle her career? I'm the one keeping her going. Getting her those brand deals and making sure the big men know who she is. She's got stuff lined up for the next year because of me. I know she hates the sight of a set because of that incident that you're so angry about but we both know that she needs to keep at this if she's going to survive in this world. If you pull her out what will she do? Sit at home talking to counsellors trying to figure out why she's like that? Or will you try to get her on track with the regular school system and hope that she socializes normally from there?" Deidri seemed to find this whole thing amusing. "The only thing that'd happen then is that whoever her teachers are will ship her off to some centre for r*tarded brats-"