CHAPTER 37

It was my first time in a court as a witness, or as anything at all. I had tried everything I could to make sure I stayed out of court where my real identity and everything concerning my move here, stayed as a secret that no one knew except me.

I stayed taking steady breaths, not because I had a problem with lying, but because I was in a place that could send me packing at any time, with any slip up. I made a mental note to calm down and think about the questions I was asked before answering them, and with the help of that, I answered the questions the lawyers asked.

Austin Callaway, Mrs. Callaway’s—whose name I came to find out was Sarah—husband, felt betrayed when he saw me come up. From the look on his face, he looked defeated, like he knew his wife was a crazy bitch who would do anything until she got what she wanted. Maybe like me, he had underestimated her and what she was capable of doing.

I had testified that the man sexually assaulted me, which wasn’t a lie. Austin was a terrible man, he was touchy-feely, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself and he anytime we met up, he’d try to go overboard. I mixed in a few lies and felt happy about the fact that I was helping another woman take money from a man that didn’t deserve it. At some point, during the court session, I had seen someone that could pass for Reeves, but I doubted he’d be the one because I didn’t tell him about the court or anything concerning Sarah after that day. Reeves did not talk to me or ask any more questions about the envelope I ran out of his house with. He didn’t talk to me much in general.

After the whole ordeal in the court, I had done my part and Sarah promised to leave my past out of her mouth, and we agreed that the whole thing never happened; of course, I didn’t trust Sarah much, but I believe I did a good job for her and she’d be purely wicked if she used my information to do anything else.

I hurried back home after the whole ordeal at the court, I didn’t want to stay in there any longer than I should and then put myself in problems I’ll have issues getting out of. When I got home though, Reeves was waiting for me. I had told him where to find a spare key if he ever needed it, and I guess he needed it today, but for what though?

“Hey, you didn’t tell me you were coming,” I hugged him, in response, he didn’t hug me back, instead, he peeled my hands from his body.

“What in God’s name has been happening to you? I didn’t want to ask any questions because I felt you’d come to me, tell me what’s going on and we’d look for a way to fix it before it becomes something serious,” he was angry, and his anger was directed at me, just like that day at his house with Daisy. I looked down at my legs because I didn’t know what to say to him.

“Were you ever going to tell me you were going to a court today? Are you ever going to tell me anything that’s going on with you?” he asked, this time he calmed himself down and his voice wasn’t as loud as it was earlier.

“I don’t know, I just didn’t want you getting worried over something I was going to get sorted anyway,” I threw my hands over my head. I was already tired of repeating the same things over and over.

“Do you even hear yourself? That’s the same thing you said the other day at the restaurant, and you got a package. When you got the package, you said it was nothing, and then you practically ran out of my house like you had seen a ghost or something worse. It’s the reason why you were in court today, isn’t it?” He asked me. Reeves was right, I and told him it was nothing and it became something.

“It is, but this time it’s nothing. I sorted it out with Sarah,” I defended.

“Did you? Because it seems to me that she’s the same person that left me a tip that you’d be too busy lying away in court today, or how did you think I found out that you went to court today?” he asked me. Sarah Callaway, that lying backstabbing bitch had tricked me.

“You sorted it out with her? What does she have against you? Why did you lie in court?” Reeves walked to me and held my shoulders, searching my face for answers, or something. I kept a straight face because I didn’t know how to tell him I was or am an illegal immigrant and Melanie isn’t even my real name. I don’t even want to imagine what he’d think if I told him. I didn’t want to tell him, but I knew I couldn’t keep lying to him.

I took in a deep breath and willed myself to tell him about what I did when I was a child. As I opened my mouth to talk, there was a knock on my door. Reeves offered to get the door, while I gather my thoughts.

Reeves stood talking to the person at the door who sounded like a police officer of some sort. On cue, my phone’s chimed and messages came in; the first one was a credit notification from my bank, the second one was a message from Sarah which read;

Here’s a little something for a job well done. Also, I’m sorry to say but when I got home, the copies of your documents I had gone missing. I don’t know where they might be, not to worry though; I’ll look for them and burn them. Thank you so much Azurfa Bin.

I let my phone fall from my hands when I was done reading the message. Sarah stayed true to the rich woman theory to the end. I knew her offer was too good to be true, but I thought about how desperate she had sounded to get me to lie for her. She had planned this from the start as a punishment. I couldn’t move, my body gave up, it felt like someone froze my spine because I felt a rush of cold in my spine, then goose pimples appeared, to show how overwhelmed I was.

Reeves came back to me with an envelope in his hands, his face drained of color. He didn’t say any words, he just handed the white envelope to me. I tore open the envelope and from the logo on the paper, I knew I was in trouble with the law. My suspicion had been just like I thought it would be, Sarah had reported me to the immigration officers and sent them a copy of my fake and real documents.

When the woman said I would lose everything, I didn’t think she meant it literally.