Obstacles [BOOK 3]

31

Juliette

When I entered the doors of the mansion before me, I inhaled deeply, knowing that it didn't feel right to not have my wife immediately in front of or behind me. Still, I knew full well of why her name had been left off of this invitation and I merely prayed that they didn't say too harsh of things. Even though— they are very well entitled too. It was a hard position on my end of this. To attend an event with my wife's family, knowing that she couldn't be here to speak for herself.

I was beating myself up about it the moment I replied to the message. My heart had been good when I first decided on it, thinking that it would be best to stand in this room to at least try to get my wife's family to somehow be able to talk past this. I knew it wouldn't take a day. Hell, maybe not a week or a month or a year... but I had to try. For the sake of Ember, I at least wanted to give it a chance.

"Hey guys." I called out softly as I entered into the living room.

It had been months since I'd seen them face to face and I was mildly afraid of their reaction to me. Sarah smiled. "Hey Julie girl, long time no see."

"Yeah, I'm knowing." I smiled back at her gently.

Janet hugged me as she mumbled. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course."

"Well?" Phoebe asked me softly and I knew she had wanted me to state the being of my wife.

"Ember isn't coming and doesn't plan on coming around any longer. I know this book has hurt a lot of you, including myself and—."

"You knew the book was coming out though." P cut me off with what she assumed was the truth.

It was days where only Kyrin was my favorite sister in law and today? Well today was one of those days.

Soon, I corrected her assumption. "I didn't know. She didn't tell me either. So..."

"Girl do you wanna get in on this lawsuit then?" She then asked me as she pointed to Janet. "Janet got a good lawyer and everything. We gone win."

The news had shocked me a bit but I didn't let it show. I couldn't blame them, my wife had dug herself into this grave but that meant that we both had to fight our way out of it. In the end of this all, I was backing my wife. She'd placed me in this hard position but my vows were sincere on this end and I preferred to tell her she was wrong in private.

I glanced at Janet, waiting for some kind of response and whom soon mumbled. "That's the thing.. there won't be any lawsuit any time soon."

"WHAT?!" Everyone seemed to scream in outrage and at the focus being off of me for a slight moment, I found myself sinking on the nearest couch and praying to somehow tap into some kind of magic to disappear.

"Look, I know it's something we all want to do but I can't file it. Especially not with Kyrin's emotions about... well everything. It's more and it's deeper than I think everyone's realizing. At the end of everyday, my wife is my priority and I don't like the doghouse very much." She shrugged. "So I withdrew the suit."

"What kind of emotions is she feeling to where you then dropped the ball like this Janet?" Phoebe asked her with a face of disappointment. "Cause we were all a team. We was gone take this girl to court and get these books pulled off these shelves. Y'all don't remember the Groupchat messages? We talked a good little game up to throw in the towel now."

Janet began chuckling before glancing towards the ground in what I could pin point to be anxiousness. "Yeah it was a good game.. but it's done.. so."

"So, she's sad." Sarah deadpanned the room and it suddenly changed the energy. "Kyrin is really sad. This stuff is really bothering her... we have to take her mental health into consideration. This wouldn't be a one day type of court case. This might be detrimental."

"But we ain't publish the book though. That was Ember. She needs to be sad with Ember. Not the lawsuit."

"I think she may not want to lose her sister any more than she's lost both of her parents though guys." It seemed that Janet and Sarah both had shared the same sentiment that was coming from Kyrin's end.

I felt out of place. Really out of place.

"Okay so if we don't sue, then what? Then we just allowed a book to be published about our entire experiences on this planet. Without our knowledge or consent. Some about people who didn't even have the ability to acknowledge or consent. It just isn't right." Phoebe was fuming in anger, rage bounced off her pores that almost gave the topography of a reddened tone. "I'm not doing it. I'm not letting it slide. I let everything else slide before but I'm standing my ground on this. It's nothing she can say or do..."

Everyone had glanced at Phoebe and then instinctively at Kelly. She noticed the eyes shifting and mouthed an "Sorry" our way.

Phoebe wasn't done and soon turned to me. "And you tell her that I heard this was all over a damn deed. A stupid ass deed that wasn't worth half of shit after my sister and I cleaned it out. We are not someone she can disregard and disrespect when ever she wants to. We are not who she's angry with. She should have taken all of this up with Joanna!"

At the end of her words, Phoebe stood from the couch and walked towards the front door of the house. Seconds later, we heard the door slam and once again, eyes shifted to her spouse whom seemed puzzled at the exit herself. "Um, thanks for the invitation guys. I think we're gonna head out now..." She stood and without much else, took her exit without slamming the door behind her.

"She's very... upset." Janet mumbled once the room had fell to silence seconds after.

"I think everyone's feeling so many emotions with all of this going on. Juliette, how are you?" Sarah has shifted gears unexpectedly but I don't know what else I should have saw coming saying that it was just us three left in the room.

"I'm okay."

"This has to be a lot for you."

Nodding, I replied honestly. "It is, but I'm just trying to get some type of message across for my wife's sake. She's wrong. She knows it, we all know it. It was very insensitive and very offensive to the people it affected. I can see every side here.. honestly, I can even see why Phoebe would feel how she feels... but I was behind those walls. I still am behind those walls and she needs you guys. I'm not saying to talk to her today. Hell, I honestly can't even see next month for some but just please don't forget about her. I know it feels like she forgot about us.. and in a sense, she did, but just wrap that corner for her if and when you can find it in your heart."

Janet sighed. "Is this really over a deed, Juliette? A dead and a car and some money?"

Sitting up some, I shook my head honestly. "No, it's something else. I honestly feel like Em just left a lot of things unsaid that she should have spoke about. She's built up a lot of hurt and it's turned into anger. I don't think she felt the safest spaces in some scenarios and she just needed some time. It was a really bad way of getting it, that I can't even deny."

"So she is doing this for space?" Sarah seemed to be clarifying.

"Yeah.. I honestly think so."