Chapter 135 Vanessa's Story
CAITLYN'S POV
Two days later Detective Rourke came to our apartment. He had a file folder with him. Sat down at our kitchen table and opened it.
"I looked into Vanessa Cory," he said. "Found some interesting things."
"Like what?" Jason asked.
"She was telling the truth about being Collin's mistress," Rourke said. "I found evidence of their relationship. Hotels. Restaurants. Travel records. They were together for about three years."
"Three years," I said. My stomach hurt. "He was cheating on me for three years and I had no idea."
"It gets worse," Rourke said. "I also found evidence that Collin was planning to divorce you. Had met with lawyers. Started the paperwork. But then you got pregnant and he stopped."
"He was going to leave me?" I asked. "For her?"
"Looks that way," Rourke said. "Until you got pregnant. Then he changed his mind. Told Vanessa he could not leave you while you were carrying his child."
"So she is angry," Jason said. "Angry that Collin stayed with Caitlyn instead of leaving her."
"Exactly," Rourke said. "And now that Collin is dead she blames Caitlyn. Thinks if Caitlyn had not gotten pregnant Collin would have left and still be alive."
"That is insane," I said. "Collin died because he kidnapped me. Because he was a criminal. Not because I got pregnant."
"I know that," Rourke said. "But grief makes people irrational. Vanessa loved Collin. Thought they had a future together. Now he is dead and she needs someone to blame."
"So she is blaming me," I said.
"Yes," Rourke said. "And she is going to make your life hell if we do not stop her."
"How do we stop her?" Jason asked.
"I talked to her," Rourke said. "Warned her to stay away from you. Told her if she harasses you again she will be arrested."
"Did she listen?" I asked.
"She said she has a right to tell her story," Rourke said. "That she is going to the media whether I like it or not."
"Can she do that?" Jason asked. "Can she just go on TV and lie about Caitlyn?"
"Technically yes," Rourke said. "As long as she believes what she is saying is true she can say it. First amendment protects that."
"Even if it is not true?" I asked. "Even if she is lying?"
"Even then," Rourke said. "Unless you can prove she is lying maliciously. Which is very hard to do."
"So what do we do?" Jason asked. "Just let her trash Caitlyn's reputation?"
"You could sue her for defamation," Rourke said. "But that takes time and money. And it would keep this story in the news longer."
"What if I talk to her?" I asked. "What if I try to reason with her?"
"Bad idea," Rourke said. "She is not reasonable right now. She is angry and grieving. Talking to her will only make things worse."
"Then what?" I asked. "We just wait for her to go to the media? Wait for her to destroy me?"
"I am working on something," Rourke said. "Give me a few more days. Let me dig deeper into her background. There might be something we can use."
"Like what?" Jason asked.
"I cannot say yet," Rourke said. "But trust me. I am on this."
After Rourke left I sat on the couch feeling numb. Collin had a mistress. For three years. He was planning to leave me. To divorce me. Until I got pregnant.
"You okay?" Jason asked. He sat next to me.
"No," I said. "I am not okay. I feel like an idiot. How did I not know he was cheating? How did I not see it?"
"Because you were being abused," Jason said. "Because you were focused on surviving. Not on whether your husband was faithful."
"I should have known," I said. "All those late nights. All those business trips. It was so obvious."
"Hindsight is twenty twenty," Jason said. "You cannot blame yourself for not seeing it."
"Why not?" I asked. "Everyone else will blame me. Vanessa already does."
"Vanessa is wrong," Jason said. "And anyone who believes her is wrong too."
"But what if people do believe her?" I asked. "What if she goes on TV and tells everyone I knew about Collin's crimes? What if people think I am a liar?"
"Then we fight back," Jason said. "We tell the truth. We show the evidence. We prove she is wrong."
"What if we cannot prove it?" I asked. "What if she has something? Some text message or email that makes me look bad?"
"She does not," Jason said. "Rourke would have found it. He has access to all of Collin's records. All his communications. If there was anything incriminating he would have seen it."
"You are probably right," I said. "But I am still scared."
"Me too," Jason said. "But we are going to get through this. Together."
"Together," I repeated.
Emma started crying so I picked her up. Held her close. This was what mattered. My daughter. My family. Not what some bitter woman thought about me. Not what lies she wanted to tell.
But I was still scared. Scared of what Vanessa might say. Scared of how it might affect the other trials. Scared that my reputation would be destroyed and there was nothing I could do about it.
"Jason?" I said.
"Yeah?"
"What if this ruins everything?" I asked. "What if Vanessa goes to the media and it ruins the other trials? What if those men go free because of her?"
"That is not going to happen," Jason said. "The evidence against them is solid. Your testimony is solid. One bitter woman cannot undo that."
"I hope you are right," I said.
"I am right," Jason said. "Trust me."
But I did not know if I could trust that. Did not know if Jason was right or just trying to make me feel better. Did not know if this was going to blow over or become a huge problem.
All I knew was that I was tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of defending myself. Tired of being attacked. Tired of everything.
But I could not give up. Not with four more trials ahead. Not with Emma depending on me. Not with justice still unserved.
So I would keep going. Keep fighting. Keep telling the truth. Even if no one believed me. Even if everyone thought I was lying. Even if Vanessa destroyed my reputation.
Because that was what survivors did. They kept going. No matter what.
And I was a survivor. Whether Vanessa believed it or not.