All shades of black and yellow

All shades of black and yellow
As soon as we got home, my nerves were all over the place, and my mom had already switched into full crisis-mode the way only she could. She didn’t pace or panic, rather she became terrifyingly efficient, like she’d rehearsed for moments like this. Murder accusations weren’t something you could fix with a PR statement or a carefully worded apology video, this would need proof, and a solid plan.

Within an hour later, the doorbell rang. My mom wiped her hands on her jeans before she went to open it. From the living room, I heard her soft gasp, followed by a warm, familiar laugh.

“Richard,” she said, smiling as she wrapped him in a hug.

“Victoria, it’s been too long,” he replied, pulling back to look at her. “You haven’t aged a bit since the last time we saw each other. You’re still stunning as always.”

She shook her head with an embarrassed laugh. “You and your sweet words. Please, come in and have a seat.”

They walked into the living room, and my Mom turned to me as I stood up from the couch.

“This is my son, Aiden. Aiden, this is Richard. He’s an old friend of mine and a criminal defense attorney.”

I extended my hand, and he took it with a firm, warm shake.

“It’s nice to meet you, Aiden.”

“You too, sir,” I said, though my stomach knotted tighter at the title ‘criminal defense attorney’. I turned to my mom. “Mom… really? A criminal defense attorney? Isn’t that a little extreme? I mean—”

“Oh, Aiden,” she cut in gently, laying a hand on my arm. “I know you’re scared, but we have to tackle this in every possible way that we can, especially since if there’s no proof that shows the allegations against you is true.”

Richard nodded, adjusting his glasses as he took out a notebook. “Your mom is right. We shouldn’t handle this lightly, so now, I’ll need you to be completely honest with me.”

I exhaled slowly and nodded.

“Good,” he said, settling into the chair opposite me. “So first things first, Aiden… did you really kill someone?”

The question punched the air out of my lungs even though I’d been expecting it.

“No, sir. I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Alright.” He jotted something down. “Do you have any idea who might have made such an accusation against you?”

“Yes I do,” I said immediately. “Marcus Kane. And as a matter of fact, he actually threatened to do exactly this six months ago. So if there’s anyone who could have done it, it’s him.”

Richard’s brows rose. “And do you have any proof of this threat?”

My chest tightened. “Unfortunately no, I don’t. It was during an argument, so it didn’t occur to me to record anything.”

“Do you genuinely think he was the one who did it,” he asked, “or do you think he was bluffing just to rile you up or scare you?”

“No I don’t. If there’s anything I’m certain of, it’s the fact that Marcus doesn’t bluff. So if he says he’s going to do something, he always does it.”

Richard wrote down more this time longer, and slower, than the others.

“Well Aiden,” he said finally, “your words alone isn’t enough proof to link Marcus to this. So like I told your mom earlier when we spoke on the phone, we’ll need to get in contact with the victim. He’s very much alive which is a huge advantage, his testimony could clear you of all allegations instantly. But before we do that… I need you tell me what exactly happened.”

I swallowed hard, while my fingers shook a little as I rubbed my palms together.

“It happened when I was in college,” I began, staring at the floor for a moment before looking up. “I was coming back from a party with my friends. I was drunk, and also happens to the one driving.”

My mom closed her eyes briefly, but she didn’t interrupt.

“We were on the main road close to campus, it was dark and quiet, then out of nowhere Collins ran into the road. Before I could hit the brakes, I crashed into him.”

My throat tightened as the memory punched through me.

“I panicked and didn’t know what to do. My friends ran away, so I called my mom and we took him to the hospital ourselves. His parents came later on, and we explained everything that happened. We got them to sign an NDA, and we agreed to cover all his hospital bills, as long as it didn’t go out to the public. That was a very crucial time in my career, so we couldn’t afford any scandals.”

I ran a hand over my face.

“Unfortunately he was in a coma for six months, and with the help of his parents, we were able to keep that away from the media’s eyes until he recovered. And after that, we still followed through and sent him abroad like we promised so he could get properly checked out. That’s it. I didn’t kill anyone. I’m not a murderer.”

My voice cracked on the last word, and I covered my face with both hands, breathing shakily.

Richard was silent for a moment, letting the weight of the story settle in. Then he scribbled more notes before he closed the notebook with a decisive pat.

“That’s Alright,” he said softly. “Honestly, this isn’t a big case. If this had truly been a murder, then yes, we’d have to prove if it was done with intent, or self-defense, or if it was simply an accident, and that will require a lot of investigations which could take months, let’s not even talk about the court trials. The list goes on and on.”

Mom let out a tiny breath of relief.

“So for now, I think we should just focus on getting through to the victim first,” Richard continued. “If he appears publicly even without saying a word, that alone will neutralize the rumor. And if he or his parents leaked this despite the NDA, they can be sued for breach of contract.”

He stood, slipping his notebook into his briefcase.

“Then next, reach out to the media house that published the story. I doubt this Marcus you mentioned would have actually said his name when giving the leak, or perhaps he paid someone else to do it instead. So once we trace the leak and get the victim’s cooperation, this whole thing will crumble in minutes.”

He turned to my mom with a teasing smirk. “You got me scared me for nothing, Vee. I thought it was something really bad. There was no need for a criminal defense lawyer though. This is a little issue, something a solid PR sweep would fix. Something I’m sure you can easily handle.”

“Yes Ofcourse I know Richard, but this is your field and you’re a professional,” she said softly. “So I figured you would know what to do best in this scenario. I didn’t mean to sound that way I’m sorry, it’s just when it comes to him…” She glanced at me. “I don’t joke with him, and I’ll do anything for him. So I just wanted this thrashed once and for all. Sorry for the trouble once again.”

Richard chuckled. “It’s no trouble, Vee. You know that. It’s not like we’re strangers, we’ve been friends for over a decade so I really don’t mind. Besides, if it gives me an excuse to get to see your pretty face again, then I don’t mind a bit more trouble.”

She swatted his arm playfully. “Oh Richard. Stop.”

Still smiling, he stood up and straightened his clothes. “Anyways, I have to get going on, I have another meeting to attend too. Don’t forget what I said, make sure those things are taken care of, and I’ll take it from there.” He hugged her warmly. “It was nice seeing you vee. Maybe we can do dinner sometime. Take care of yourself.”

He turned to me as he pulled out. “Have a good day, Aiden.”

“You too, sir.”

As soon as my Mom closed the door behind him, I leaned against the kitchen doorway, smirking. “Vee, huh? I never knew that was your name.”

She rolled her eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck in her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Aiden.”

I followed her into the kitchen as she grabbed a bottle of water. “He seems like a nice man, Mom. Maybe you should take him up on that dinner idea. I mean it would be nice for you to finally put yourself out there after so long.”

“Aiden—”

“I mean it Victoria. You literally haven’t had anyone in your life since after dad. It’s just been me, me, me. You’ve spent most of your life taking care of me, and I don’t want you sacrificing the rest too.”

She groaned dramatically. “Not now, Aiden. I’m not complaining, am I? Meanwhile, a mother doesn’t complain about taking care of her child, so why should you, huh?” She said and smacked the back of my head lightly.

I winced and moved back a bit, laughing. “I’m not complaining mom, I just want you to be happy. I’m sure a child is allowed to worry about his mother, isn’t he?.” I said grinning. 

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not dropping this, are you?”

“Nope. I’m not.” I said, grinning as I shook my head, my arms folded as I stood behind her.

She sighed, defeated. “Alright fine. I’ll think about it now stop being a pain in my ass and go set the table, let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

I laughed, and wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. She froze for a second, then melted, as her smile bloomed softly.

For the first time all day, my chest loosened.