Disclaimer: Character owned by Janet Evanovich. We just enjoy messing with them.
Warning: Some graphic Violence and adult Situations. Tissue Warning. Read at your own risk. But it will have a BABE HEA Promise.
Angie couldn't believe the attention that was being given to her family. It just grew and grew each and every day. Her yard was littered, sign wavers were out in full force each time she stepped foot on the porch. Her car was egged when she came out on more than one occasion, someone had added flour to the mix, her nerves couldn't stand much more of it. Knowing Joseph was but a few streets over, in the general population of the jail, set her off even more. She finally went to the jail to visit her son she had to confront him, but seeing him in his jumpsuit only drove home the point that he had done something so horrible, but it was when she looked him in the eyes, she instantly knew what he had done was true, he did it all, there was absolutely no room for doubt anymore. He wrote about Stephanie in the vilest way, he did hold her down and rape her, just like his father had done to her. She saw absolutely no remorse, and she let him know exactly how she felt about him without holding back.
XXXXXX
It had only been moments before that she had spoke to him and he still couldn't believe his ears. How could she not understand, she had lived it with him. Hearing the disdain in her voice when she said, "taking after your father, Joseph, you make me ashamed to be your mother. I had such hopes for you; I would have a son that became someone to be proud of. Instead I have a child rapist for a son. How can you live with yourself after what you did to Stephanie? Anthony and I both worked with you after he passed away, but somehow you still think this is ok? No son of mine would have ever done this to another woman knowing what had happened to me. You swore to me that you would be different, but you are just like him. You took the one incident that changed my life forever and damaged another young woman. I had no one to stand up for me back then, but there is a difference here, I will stand up for Stephanie. I will be there if she'll let me to hold her hand and get her through this." She stood up from her chair and glared at him. "You will always be my son, but you will never darken my world again. After today, you will cease to exist." Angie continued on. "You knew I was forced to marry your father after I lost my innocence to him, I became pregnant in a time when an abortion wasn't recognized or available to me, thank goodness that didn't happen for Stephanie, praise God above there are methods to prevent a pregnancy from happening for that sweet girl. I never wanted to be married to your father; my heart belonged to someone else, someone much better than your father. You look and act just like him, Joseph that is why I have so much anger and resentment towards you. I will come to your trial, to see you in shackles, you can count on that. But I will be coming in support of Stephanie, and all that you have put her through. If you want to prove yourself a real man, a man of honor you will plead guilty and spare that girl any more pain." And with that she walked out of the room they were speaking in.
He sat there thinking about that conversation over and over again. He still felt rage for all this that had happened. Didn't she understand that was the Morelli way to claim his woman? Didn't she understand that that was what his Father had done to her; he was just patterning himself after him? And to plead guilty, no way would he tell everyone that he was wrong, he was only doing what he knew was right. Never mind, Stephanie wouldn't ever set foot in a courtroom and soon this would all be over, how wrong they would all be.
A short while later he found himself staring at the local newspaper. He felt sick to his stomach, his career over in the military before it even began, really. How could this happen? They hadn't even given him a chance to prove his innocence.
TRENTON TIMES
DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE FOR ALLEGED CHILD RAPIST.
The United States Military has decided not to wait for the trial of Joseph A. Morelli, but has begun the process of discharging him from service, regardless of his trial outcome.
"While innocent until proven guilty, the military cannot afford a scandal of this magnitude, and the guilt by association of Mr. Morelli is such that this outcome was inevitable," a quote from the staff of operations.
Mr. Morelli's trial is set to start shortly, and he has been held in jail at the Police station.
XXXXXX
Angie walked out of the police station head held high, feeling as though a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It still horrified her that her son could do such a thing, but at least now she would be in a position to help the young woman who was in an all too familiar situation. Looking around at the sound of clicking heels on pavement that she knew was not from her she made eye contact with the woman and they both stopped only a few feet from each other.
They met in the parking lot of the police station; friends no more. A rift had started the evening of the rape and couldn't be mended no matter how they tried. Angie in support of the girl that her son had wronged, the child of the woman that stood before her, a woman that had blamed her own child for being raped publicly. Helen in support of Joseph, a supposed victim of her daughter's slutty ways.
Jealousy, rage, and tempers flared the moment their eyes met. "Well, well, well, if it isn't mother of the year,' sneered Angie to Helen. "How could you've come here?' she continued on.
Helen glared back, "I came to show Joseph support, after all it was my daughter that asked him to have sex with her, she didn't care that it was on the floor, she asked him for it, I fail to understand why can't you see that? He acts and looks like your husband did, before he died, is that so hard to understand what he did was all right and not wrong? I am trying to find Stephanie and get her to drop the charges; she wanted and asked for what happened."
At the horrified look on Angie's face Helen continued before she could speak. "Do you know how lucky you are? You were married and pregnant by the man I loved my whole life, ever since I saw him, I wanted to be Helen Morelli more than anything in the world. I wanted to have SONS, not daughters. You are the luckiest woman in Trenton to have that last name, and here you are blaming your own son for something my daughter wanted, even begged for. I never wanted to marry Frank; he was always my second choice. I dreamed of Anthony taking me in his arms night after night, I took those cooking lessons after school, so I could fix Anthony's meals…not Franks. Frank was always my second choice."
Helen stopped, finally realizing what she just admitted. Her jealousy of Angie Morelli was finally out there for everyone to hear. Wiping the spittle off her jaw, she just stood there, waiting for Angie to say something, anything to what she finally blurted out, the truth, and for the first time noticing the crowd that had gathered around them. All the witnesses waiting with baited breath to hear their every word.
Angie just laughed in Helen's face; finally hearing the truth, now it was time for Angie to share a few things with Helen. "My, my, my, how does it feel to come in second, Helen? Frank was my first love, not Anthony Morelli,' Angie spat out and noticed the flare in Helen's eyes growing bigger as she spoke.
"Frank and I had plans, plans to leave Trenton and never return, he was the man of my dreams. After Anthony forced himself on me, I had no choice but to get married to that man. I knew Frank would love my son, but I couldn't force him into a marriage where he would have to raise someone else's child, so he settled for his last choice, which was you Helen Plum, or should I say Mazur now. All these years, I wanted your life, your daughters and your husband. Too bad my parents forced me to marry an abuser like Anthony Morelli, otherwise I would have had your life."
Helen couldn't believe what she was hearing; she was Frank's second choice? Angie and Frank were in love? She saw red. She saw Angie smirking at her, thinking she was better than her, how dare her being in love with Frank. She swung her arm out, and smacked Angie hard in the face. The two went down to the ground rolling around, pulling each others hair, screaming at the top of their lungs, while everyone just stood and watching with morbid curiosity. Helen was trying to get away so that she could leave as soon as possible, but she found her arms restrained, and her head at an angle that was not normal.
Looking up Helen saw Joe Juniack holding her arm asking Angie softly," I saw the whole thing; would you like to press charges, Mrs. Morelli?"
The glee was apparent on Angie's face as she met Helen Mazur's eyes and said, "What a pleasure that would be, and I think I need some scissors to cut my hand loose from this rats next she calls hair. There is so much hairspray that I can't remove my hand by pulling." Helen shrieked at that comment but remained quiet.
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court.." and the words faded, as Helen Mazur's wrists felt the cold handcuffs. Scissors had been brought out to where they were so that Angie did not have to reenter the Police Station, and her hand was freed. As Helen was led into the Trenton Police Department, by her ex-husband's best friend everyone saw that her usually perfect helmet hair was now missing a very large section on the side. Instead of a helmet, it now looked like she had a giant crater on one side and the other had twigs and bark sticking out every which way.
The only thing that broke Helen's haze was Angie saying, "I'll be sure to tell Frank that you said hi when I see him for lunch today." And the loud clink of doors closing behind her.
XXXXX
After the fight between Angie and Helen at the police station, word had gotten around very quickly that Angie had been mistreated my Anthony Sr. and that she was supporting Stephanie. The Morelli family harassment had completely stopped and many gave Angie a sympathetic smile, although none had the balls to speak to her about what had been said.
Angie and Bella had taken to walking in the evening when everyone was in their homes, watching the news, relaxing. It got them out of the house and was giving them exercise around the park. They didn't speak, but just enjoyed the quiet night, and the cool air, the sounds of what little wildlife Trenton had to offer. But tonight something was different. They were hearing a groaning and moaning sound every once in a while, but neither Angie nor Bella took it as a threat to themselves or anyone else.
They were caught off guard when they rounded a corner of that path that took them by the tip of the pond where there were several benches that at this time of evening were usually empty. Only this evening the sight before them had them both stunned into stillness. Mooch and Valerie were on a park bench, raw passion between these young people, a searing kiss that seemed to go on forever, but that was not what truly caught their attention. Once they could get their wits about them once again both Angie and Bella noticed that both Mooch and Valerie were completely naked, and causing the sounds that they had been hearing as they had enjoyed their walk this evening.
Sorry for the delay. We will see you next week on Monday's now. Please let us know what you think.
