Zatima: What if?

75. Cortez family

Some time has passed and Fatima did indeed take the case behind Zac's back but not before checking with Dr Cox. Dr Cox said as long the case won't stress her out then all should be well...

Today's the day she gets to meet Mateo Cortez for the first time, they're meeting at the prison interrogation room since he is yet to get bail

|Prison|

The warden brings Mateo in and he takes a seat across Fatima. He's a sweet and innocent looking boy with dark hair and hazel eyes. Fatima examines his face and her heart instantly breaks at the sight- he had a lot of bruises and a busted lip.

Fatima: hey, I'm Fatima Taylor and I'll be the one handling your case
Mateo: (shy) hey
Fatima: before we start Mr Cortez, would you like some water? You seem a little shaken
Mateo: yeah sure and please call me Mateo or Teo for short, Mr Cortez is my father
Fatima: (chuckles) noted. Okay so you know what we're doing here today right?
Teo: yea
Fatima: (pulls out a voice recorder) okay, tell me what happened that night
Teo: (scared) wait, are you recording this?! Please no, you cant- if it ends up in the wrong hands, they'll kill me
Fatima: hey calm down, look at me. Nobody's gon listen to this but me. It's just so I can refer back to it when writing my notes. I promise I'll destroy it as soon as I have all points down
Teo: (stuttering) idk why Ms Taylor, but I trust you! I believe your promises mean something so I'll take your word for it
Fatima: (smiles) thank you and you can call me Fatima. You're also free to start talking whenever you're ready
Teo: (deep breathe) this isn't how I pictured my life. I had big dreams, dreams of making it to Harvard to study medicine and become the first doctor in my family (chuckles) you know, if you had told me 2 months ago that this would be my new reality I would've laughed
Fatima: life can come at us pretty hard, I also went through something traumatic in the last couple of months
Teo: (frowns) really?! I'd think you have the perfect life
Fatima: (chuckles) it's far from perfect
Teo: well, how'd you overcome that rough patch?
Fatima: (smiles) this meeting isn't about me Teo, let's make a deal... if you promise to cooperate then I'll let you know the answer to that question one day

Mateo nervously looks around the room before taking another sip of his water. He's slightly shaking and Fatima notices

Teo: are you sure no one outside of this room can hear us?
Fatima: I'm positive!
Teo: (sighs) okay... I grew up in a 2 parent household with my eldest brother (Miguel), my mom (Rosa) and my dad (Louis).
Fatima: (interjects) Louis is the deceased, correct?
Teo: (sighs) yeaa.
Fatima: what happened?

|⏸️PAUSE: FLASHBACK TIME... LIKE ALWAYS, I'LL INDICATE WHEN IT'S OVER!!|

《《FLASHBACK STARTS 》》

|Cortez home|

Teo: (holding envelope) mami, dad come in here
Rosa: what's in your hand son
Teo: this might be the key
Rosa: (confused) huh?
Teo: (chuckles) mami remember how you always said me going to Harvard would mean yall leave the game for good?!
Rosa: (smiles) yesss
Teo: well parents... I did it! I got into Harvard!

Rosa jumped up in joy and tears started dropping from her eyes as she hugged her son. Louis' reaction was however alarming and Rosa could tell that it must've had something to do with Louis Sr (his father).

Rosa: babe, your son just shared the best news ever!! Where's the joy?
Louis: -silent-
Teo: papi are you okay?
Louis: (teary-eyed) I'm sorry son but you can't go to Harvard
Teo: (crying) what!! Why not?
Rosa: (fuming) he got to you didn't he? What about all the plans we made? You're just gonna drop them because daddy dearest is in town?
Louis: it's not like that
Rosa: prove it! Stick to OUR fuckin plan!!! Miguel stays in college and Teo goes to Harvard while we retire to a private island and live a normal life
Louis: (sighs) I can't walk away from this life baby, it's in my blood
Rosa: (rolls eyes) fine, stay!! I'll just take my babies and walk away from the life and you!!
Louis: (grabs her) I can't let you do that! I love you to death and you know it
Rosa: fuck you Louis!!

Louis slaps her in front of Teo and she falls to the floor

Teo: (grabs him by the collar) what are you doing man??! You promised you'd never hit her, what's gotten into you??!

Louis pushes him and his head collides with the wall. Rosa is still on the floor in tears...

Louis: (fuming) yall don't fuckin listen!!! I'm the man of the house- what I say goes!! Rosa, you'll keep being my runner, Miguel is dropping out to come be my right- hand man and Teo you're joining us too!
Rosa: (begs on her knees) baby please don't do this! We had a plan, think of our sons!
Louis: (punches her) I said what I said!! This is for our fuckin sons
Rosa: (angry) you said you'd never hit me
Louis: (ignores her and smokes his cigarette) wake your weak ass son up! I didn't even push him that hard

Rosa crawls to Teo and notices that his head bleeding. She instantly starts seeing red and grabs a kitchen knife then starts stabbing Louis all over. Teo wakes up to the sight of his mom on top of his dad's lifeless body. She stabbed him 25 times...

《《FLASHBACK OVER 》》

Fatima: (shocked) wait wait! So you didn't actually kill him?
Teo: (cries) yea! But you gotta promise not to tell- my mom will never survive prison, especially not with all these people on my grandfather's payroll
Fatima: are they the ones who did that to your face?
Teo: yeah, but I can handle it!
Fatima: Teo you gotta let me help you, you need to come clean
Teo: no!!! If I do that I know for sure he'll kill my mom in cold blood- he never liked her. He tolerates my brother and I because we're blood
Fatima: well why couldn't your brother take the fall?
Teo: because he has a month left of school and he's already working as an intern at a top law firm in LA. He's the one who can provide financial security for our family
Fatima: (crying) so what's the plan Teo? You rot in here while they stay out there enjoying life?
Teo: yes! Look I've already got it figured out! You just gotta work on getting me a light sentence, this was my first crime
Fatima: what about Harvard?
Teo: (teary-eyed) it is what it is
Fatima: (teary-eyed) please just let me help you, I can get the charges dropped and get you back into Harvard. Your mom will only get 5 years tops- I can argue self defense
Teo: (yelling) I said no!!! (looks back) Gaurd I'm ready to go back

The gaurd comes back in to take Mateo while Fatima stands up and grabs her belongings, Mateo freezes at her sight.

Teo: (stares) wait!!! You're pregnant???!
Fatima: yeah
Teo: nope! You can't take this case!!! You have too much to lose!! Trust me, Louis Sr is ruthless. If the case goes south he will kill you and everyone you love! Look just forget about me and drop this case- it's too risky for a pregnant woman.