Disobedience

Chapter 14: Liar, Liar, Attorney's Skirt's On Fire

Kimberly Jane

"Ang sabi po ng nanay ko, ipagdasal ko na lang, pero kahit anong pagtitiis ko, wala pong nangyayari. Lumipas po ang isang taon ay bigla siyang nagbago, noong una po ay ginagabi lang siyang umuwi sa trabaho ng lasing, tapos lumala po iyon sa mga dumaan pang mga taon. Nagsimula po siyang mambabae at manakit sa akin." She pulled her shirt and I saw the faint bruises on her back, even on her stomach. "Itinakas ko po si Princess kasi po natatakot ako na kapag nalasing na naman siya ay baka ang anak naman po namin ang saktan ni Alfredo."

I nodded as I listened to Althea Navarro. I wasn't entirely lying to my father when I said that I was busy with a case last night. I was really nose deep into the Navarro case files and briefing. All the while I was on a video call with Elijah, assuring him that I was in fact in my home and nowhere near Travis.

Mrs. Althea Navarro is one of my pro-bono cases this month. I am working extra hard on her case because her soon-to-be-ex-husband is a class A piece of shît. I want my client to have the best possible outcome and possibly leave that disgusting bastard with nothing.

"Tumawag po ako sa opisina niyo at nasabi ko sa assistant niyo na ayoko na pong sumipot sa hearing kasi nakatanggap po ako ng tawag mula kay Alfredo kung saan binantaan niya po ang buhay ko. Sinabi po noong tumawag sa akin na kapag itinuloy ko 'to ay makukulong ako sa kaso ng kidnapping at sabi pa niya ay ipapatay niya ako sa kulungan. Masasaktan din daw po si Princess." Napahikbi siya. "Nawawalan din po ako ng lakas ng loob kasi po 'di hamak na mas mayaman si Alfredo sa akin. Nagkaroon lang po ako ng laban noong tinanggap niyo ng libre 'yung kaso ko." Her chapped lips trembling

Hinagod naman ang likod ni Althea nang yumakap siya sa akin.

Kasalukuyan kaming nandito sa law office ko. After I received the call, I immediately went to her mother's residence where the twenty-eight year old woman temporarily resides. After she was 'caught' by the police enforcement trying to flee the country with her daughter, she was arrested and held in a jail cell habang napunta si Princess sa child protective services ng gobyerno. When Althea's case files landed on my table and I found out that she is still in jail while awaiting a court date, I immediately told my paralegal to pay her bail using my own money.

Althea's had enough trauma to last a lifetime. Being in jail cell is the last thing that she needs.

"Pangako niyo po na hindi ako makukulong. Ayoko po na mapunta si Princess sa demonyo na 'yun."

I nodded as she pulled away from me. Instead of sitting in my swivel chair, I sat beside her here in the visitor's chairs just right in front of my wooden table. I handed her more tissues from my table and let her wipe her tears.

"I'm not gonna promise anything, Althea . I will show you." I smiled reassuringly. "But first, I need you to give me your phone."

In cases like this, when I negotiate, I will take everything from the opposing counsel. I don't like men who beat on women. I will die before I let them walk with what they want.

She unlocked her phone and showed me the contacts where I saw 'Alfredo' at the top of the list of who called her.

If you're gonna call and threaten someone, use a burner phone because it is untraceable. For legal purposes, you did not learn that from me.

Now that is what Alfredo should have done, but he didn't because he wanted Althea to actually know that it was him and that he fears no one. This call that he made was also his last, desperate attempt to control and scare my client, which is a big fúcking mistake because it is gonna cost him everything.

I stood up from my chair and got a paper and pen from my desk before I headed back to Althea.

"Althea, I need you to list everything that you want to take from that bastard." I said as I offered her the pen and paper in my hand.