Chapter 8 - The Story They Wanted Everyone to Believe
By Sunday morning, Sloan's post had hundreds of comments.
Some people expressed sympathy.
Others wanted details.
A few recognized me.
One woman wrote, Wasn't your sister the one with the knee surgery?
Sloan replied with a single sentence.
Some people know exactly how to use an injury.
I put my phone facedown.
A soft knock came from the doorway.
My best friend, June Keene, entered carrying two coffees, a phone charger, and the oversized sweatshirt I'd begged her to bring.
She took one look at me.
“Oh, absolutely not.”
“What?”
“You look like you've been reading the internet.”
“Because I have.”
She pulled up a chair.
“Give me the phone.”
“June.”
“I'm not stealing it. I'm preventing you from throwing it through a window.”
June and I had been friends since our first jobs after college.
She knew my family history.
She'd watched me spend years inventing excuses for people who never apologized.
I showed her the video.
She watched without speaking.
Then she watched it again.
“That wasn't a joke.”
“No.”
“And your parents saw it?”
“Yes.”
June pressed her lips together.
“I'm going to ask you something, and I don't want you to protect their feelings when you answer.”
“Okay.”
“Do you want to hold them accountable?”
The question frightened me more than I expected.
Accountability meant lawyers.
Investigations.
Possibly a lawsuit.
It meant my family might finally stop speaking to me.
June saw my hesitation.
“Merritt, you don't have to decide everything today. But you do have to protect yourself.”
She opened her contacts.
“I know an attorney who handles serious injury cases. Ruth Calder. She represented my coworker after that warehouse accident.”
An hour later, I was speaking with Ruth over the phone.
She asked direct, practical questions.
Had I preserved the original video?
Yes.
Had I reported the incident to the venue?
Yes.
Had I told medical staff how the injury occurred?
Yes.
Had I reported the corporate charge as unauthorized?
Yes.
“Good,” she said. “Don't argue with your family online. Preserve their posts and messages. We'll assess the injury claim and coordinate with counsel if the financial matter overlaps.”
“Can I make Sloan take the post down?”
“Not immediately just because it's false. There are options, but we should avoid making promises before reviewing everything.”
I exhaled.
She was the second professional in two days who'd refused to offer an easy answer.
I was beginning to realize how comforting that could be.
Before ending the call, Ruth said, “One more thing. Don't sign anything your family sends you.”
Twenty minutes later, an email arrived from my father.
Subject: Family Resolution.
May you like
Attached was a document titled:
Acknowledgment of Authorized Event Expenses and Accidental Injury.
