Is This God's Way of Testing Me?
Chapter 4
Aubrey didn't immediately respond. Instead, she got up from her chair and walked to the door. She opened it and looked out. Then, seeing the man she was looking for, she called out to him.
"Detective Harris?"
"Yes, ma'am," Detective Harris said, turning toward Aubrey.
"May I hear the tape made of Beca, uh, Mrs. Mitchell's meeting with Mr. Walp?"
"Of course," Detective Harris said. "I'll need a minute."
"That's fine," Aubrey said and went back into the room and sat down.
Beca sat next to her, chewing on her thumbnail as her leg bounced up and down under the table.
Detective Harris came into the room, carrying a laptop. He placed the laptop on the table and tapped a few keys, and suddenly they could hear Chicago's voice through the laptop's speakers.
"Right on time," Chicago said.
There was the sound of something hitting the ground.
"That's when I tossed the bag with the money at his feet," Beca narrated.
"Are you ready to give up the custody case and terminate your parental rights to Sophie?" Beca's voice came through the speakers.
"No problem," Chicago said.
A rustling sound was heard.
"He's checking the bag," Beca explained.
"Is it all there?"
"Yes," Beca responded. "Two hundred and fifty thousand, just like you asked."
"A quarter-million dollars for a daughter I never wanted," Chicago said. "Not a bad deal."
"You're pathetic," Beca said. "I'm still trying to figure out what Chloe ever saw in you."
The sound of footsteps could be heard as if someone were walking away.
"Hey!" Beca's voice called out. "Don't think for one minute you can come back for more later. A quarter of a million dollars to drop the custody suit and stay out of Chloe and Sophie's lives forever. That was the deal."
"I may not be Father of the Year, but I am a man of my word. That was the deal we made, and I stand by it," Chicago responded.
"Thank you. That's all I needed to hear."
There was a sudden flurry of sounds and voices calling out, "Drop the bag and put your hands up!"
"Chicago Walp, you are under arrest for coercion," another voice said.
"What the Hell?" Chicago could be heard saying. "You bitch! You set me up!"
"You set yourself up, asshole," Beca responded.
"That's when they put the handcuffs on him and took him away," Beca said.
"It doesn't sound like you said or did anything wrong," Aubrey told Beca. "Detective, has someone from the DA's office heard this?"
"They have," Detective Harris said. "The tape and Ms. Mitchell's testimony should put Walp away for a minimum of one year up to a maximum of three years. The DA is proceeding with filing coercion charges against Walp as we speak. I believe they will ask for the maximum time allowed under the law."
"What about Beca?" Aubrey asked. "Any reason to believe she may be charged with something?"
"No, ma'am," Detective Harris said. "The DA believes the case is strong against Walp and doesn't foresee any charges being brought against Mrs. Mitchell. She did the right thing by calling us as soon as he asked for money to give up his daughter. So as far as we're concerned, Mrs. Mitchell is free to go."
"Thank you," Beca said as she and Aubrey stood.
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
Beca and Aubrey filled Chloe and Stacie in on everything that had transpired that morning.
"So, it's over?" Chloe asked. "Chicago will go to jail and can't bother us anymore?"
"Yes," Beca quickly responded.
"Hold on a second because it's not that simple," Aubrey said. "If Chicago pleads guilty, he will be sentenced to one to three years in jail. The actual length he'll serve will depend on what the DA recommends and within the Judge's discretion. But, if he pleads not guilty, there will be a trial. And everyone sitting here, as well as Amy, could be called as witnesses."
"All of us?" Stacie asked. "Even you?"
"It would be a conflict of interest since I have an attorney/client relationship with Chloe and Beca, so I doubt the judge would allow it," Aubrey responded.
"Let's hope Chicago does the right thing and pleads guilty," Chloe said.
"I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for that to happen," Beca said. "He hasn't done the right thing by you or Sophie in the past three-and-a-half years."
"We just have to be prepared for every contingency," Aubrey said. "I'll be by your side through the entire thing. Whether as a friend or your lawyer will depend on how things go."
Beca took Chloe's hand and looked at Aubrey.
"I'm sure I speak for both of us when I say thank you for all you've done and all you're doing for us, Aubrey," Beca said sincerely.
Chloe squeezed Beca's hand in support. She then smiled and nodded at Aubrey.
"Beca does speak for me in that regard, Brey," Chloe said. "I couldn't ask for anyone better to be on our side."
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
Two days later, Aubrey was notified that Chicago Walp had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. She asked Beca and Chloe to come to her office so she could discuss what their roles might be during the trial itself.
Beca and Chloe were quiet as Aubrey told them about Chicago pleading not guilty.
"So, there's going to be a trial?" Beca asked.
"Yes," Aubrey said. "The DA will want to meet with each of you to begin prep for the trial. It will most likely be several months before the trial starts, and there is a long list of things that need to be done before then."
"What kind of things?" Chloe asked.
"Witness interviews, evidence verification, and many mundane things like that," Aubrey said. "Plus, I'm sure there will be pre-trial motions from the Defense that will have to be addressed."
"So, what do we do until the DA calls us in?" Chloe asked.
"We wait," Aubrey said. "And, don't talk to anyone else about the case, especially the press. We don't want Walp's lawyer using that to try for a mistrial or having the case thrown out."
Beca and Chloe were both quiet on the ride home from Aubrey's office. Chicago's lawyer held his first press conference a few days later and alleged that pop singer Beca Mitchell had offered to buy Sophie from her biological father. Only a few reporters attended the press conference, but news reports were coming out less than 24 hours later stating that Beca was involved in a "baby-selling" scheme.
After the news got out, Beca feared for her and her family's safety with the way the paparazzi ambushed them every time they left the safety of their home. The studio hired bodyguards for Beca, Sophie, and Chloe. If they went anywhere as a family, they would have at least two bodyguards with them to ensure their safety.
Chloe balked at having bodyguards at first. Then she saw a news story where the paparazzi had cornered Beca and one of her bodyguards. The bodyguard did his best to protect Beca, but they were surrounded and were pushed and shoved against a car. Chloe could see real panic and fear in Beca's eyes through the television screen. If a couple of the studio's security guards hadn't intervened, Beca and her bodyguard could have been seriously hurt. She didn't want to be out alone with Sophie and have something like that happen to them, so from that moment on, Chloe accepted the bodyguards that followed her and Sophie everywhere they went.
Beca and Chloe tried to keep their daily lives as normal as possible for Sophie's sake as they anxiously awaited the start of Chicago's trial. Unfortunately, Sophie picked up on her mothers' anxiety and had become extra clingy, especially with Beca. She would cry every time Beca was out of her sight. She would get so upset that she often made herself sick from crying.
Beca started working from home more since neither she nor Chloe knew what else to do to help Sophie.
It had been a month of Beca working at home with the paparazzi constantly camped outside when she looked out one Saturday morning and didn't see any paparazzi lurking about.
"I guess they found something better to take up their time," Beca muttered.
"Do you think they're really gone?" Chloe asked, looking out as well.
"For now, at least," Beca said, turning to face Chloe. "Let's get out of the house. We can take Sophie to that park over by Aubrey's. I'm sure Sophie will like getting out for a while. I know I'd like that."
"That's a great idea," Chloe said. "I'll ask Brey if she and Stacie want to bring Bella and meet us. Then, we can visit with her and Stacie while Sophie and Bella play."
"That's a great idea," Beca said. "You call Aubrey, and I'll get Sophie ready."
"Okay," Chloe said.
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
Aubrey and Stacie were already at the park with Bella when the Mitchells and two bodyguards arrived. Bella ran over and hugged Sophie.
"Come on, Sophie," Bella squealed. "Let's play."
"Okay," Sophie said, squealing as she ran off with Bella.
"Stay where we can see you," Chloe called out.
One of the bodyguards followed after Sophie, while the other remained close to Chloe and Beca.
After ensuring the two girls were okay, the two couples greeted each other with hugs, and I miss yous. After the initial greetings, they sat on a bench and caught up on everyday life.
Beca and Chloe were on high alert, but once they determined there were no paparazzi around, they relaxed and enjoyed their time with Aubrey and Stacie.
Aubrey and Chloe chatted while they pushed their daughters on the swings.
"You guys should come to ours for lunch," Aubrey said. "We can have a cookout. I'm sure Bella would love to have Sophie over so they can play more."
"That sounds like fun," Chloe said. "Let me check with Beca to see if she had anything else planned for this afternoon."
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
Later, the two couples were sitting around the Posen's back deck after lunch, chatting quietly. Sophie and Bella were running around the yard, squealing and having a good time.
Beca's phone pinged with a text from Theo. She opened the link Theo had sent and sighed.
"Would you guys mind keeping an eye on Sophie?" Beca asked Aubrey as she stood. "I need to talk to Chloe about something."
Chloe looked over at Beca. "Is everything okay?"
"Um," Beca mumbled, looking at Aubrey and Stacie. "Maybe you guys should hear this, too. Theo sent me a video of a press conference that Chicago's lawyer had earlier today."
"What was it about?" Chloe asked.
"You," Beca responded.
"Me?" Chloe asked. "What about me?
Beca walked over, handing Chloe her phone with the video ready to play.
Chloe watched the video and gasped. "How dare they!"
"Don't let it get to you, babe," Beca said, kneeling in front of Chloe with her hands on her knees. "Nobody's going to believe that shit."
"But, they're saying that I set Chicago up because I'm upset that he broke off our affair," Chloe said as a tear fell down her cheek. "They're saying I cheated on you, Beca! It's out there for everyone to see, and it won't matter if I deny it because they're going to believe it."
"Chlo," Beca said, leaning up to pull her into a hug. "We both know it's not true. Anyone that knows you, who knows us, won't believe it. Trust me; we will get through this together."
"Can I see the video?" Aubrey asked.
Beca sat back on her heels as Chloe reached out and handed Aubrey Beca's phone. Aubrey pressed play, and Stacie leaned in to watch the video as well.
"This has gone on for too long," Chloe said, wiping her eyes. "Brey, is there anything I, we, can do about all the lies and crap Chicago's lawyer keeps putting out there? Beca's reputation, our reputations are taking a beating, and I feel like we should do something."
"Didn't you tell us not to discuss the case with anyone, including the press?" Beca asked. "Shouldn't that go for all parties involved?"
"It should, but-"
"They are only doing this because Beca is famous," Stacie interrupted.
"I agree," Aubrey said, nodding her head. "And, the only thing I can think to do is talk to the DA's office about getting the judge to issue a gag order to keep anyone involved in the case from talking about it outside the courtroom. That should put an end to the press conferences. Also, since Stacie got called in as a defense witness, you shouldn't talk about it with her either."
Stacie scoffed. "I still don't understand why I would be called as a witness for the defense. I thought I'd be on the DA's witness list, if anything."
"I tried to get it quashed," Aubrey said. "But I was denied. The defense only called you as a witness because you were there when Chicago showed up at their house late at night to see Chloe. You witnessed Beca's reaction to him being there and kicking Chloe out of the car, and they will use that to show there was a rift in their relationship. Which then led to Chloe having an affair with Chicago."
Beca and Chloe both scoffed at this. Aubrey raised her hand to stop them from saying anything as she continued.
"This is all speculation on my part, but I think Chicago most likely told his lawyer about that incident at the house and then told him that Beca called him the next day to offer Chicago money to go away and leave Chloe alone. The tape made during the money drop will be used by both sides, with different interpretations of what led up to it. The defense will twist everything to make it seem like Chicago was set up and is the victim in all this. It could cause doubt in the minds of the jurors."
"This is exactly what I was afraid of," Beca said, sitting on the ground and holding her head in her hands.
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
It took a few days before the DA could get before a judge. The judge issued the gag order for all parties involved in Chicago's trial. Chloe was pleased, but Beca was still filled with guilt for what she did that caused Chloe and their friends to be involved in it all. She was constantly berating herself for not letting Aubrey handle everything through the legal channels available to them.
That same night, Chloe woke and reached for Beca. She sat up frowning when all she felt was an empty space where Beca had been lying. Chloe quietly got out of bed and went to look for Beca and check on Sophie. She noticed Beca's office light and made her way to the door. She listened for a moment and thought she heard sniffling.
"Beca?" Chloe said quietly, pushing the door open so as not to startle Beca.
Chloe's heart clenched when she saw Beca sitting at her desk with tears streaming down her face.
"Oh, baby," Chloe said, rushing to Beca's side. She took Beca's face in her hands and wiped the tears from her face. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay, Chlo," Beca sniffled. "I've made a mess of things. When Chicago asked for two-hundred and fifty-thousand dollars to drop the custody case, I thought calling the police was the right thing to do, but now? Now I'm afraid he will turn everything around and blame me. I should have left well enough alone and let Aubrey handle him. We could lose Sophie because I had to do things my way."
"Baby, we're not going to lose Sophie," Chloe said, pulling Beca to her and wrapping her arms around Beca's shoulders. "There's no way Aubrey, or you and I, will let that happen."
"But I screwed up," Beca said, pulling back from Chloe to look at her.
"No," Chloe said, looking Beca in the eyes. "Chicago screwed up, not you. And once the trial starts and we get a chance to tell our side, he'll go to jail, and we won't have to worry about him or anyone else taking Sophie away from us. I promise you that."
Chloe stood, grabbing Beca's hands and bringing her up with her. "What do you say we go to bed?"
Beca wiped her face and let Chloe lead her out of her office.
"Mama!" Sophie's voice cried out, causing Beca to stop and move toward Sophie's bedroom.
"I'll check on her," Chloe said, pulling Beca back. "You go wash your face. You don't want to scare Sophie with your wild raccoon eyes, do you?"
Beca chuckled and pulled Chloe to her. She gave her a quick kiss and swatted her on the ass as Chloe moved past her to get to Sophie's room. Chloe's ensuing giggle soothed Beca in a way she would never be able to describe.
"Hey, baby girl," Beca heard Chloe say as she entered Sophie's room.
Beca smiled softly and went into their hall bathroom to throw some water on her face.
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
The trial was just over two weeks away, and the ADA asked Beca and Chloe to come to her office for some pre-trial preparation. Aubrey met with the couple to give them some insight on what to expect during the meeting. Beca sat with her leg bouncing up and down.
"Stop worrying, Beca," Aubrey told her. "ADA Madison is one of the best ADAs L.A. has. She'll walk you through the questions she's planning to ask, and she'll probably have one of her colleagues act as the Defense Attorney and ask you questions they believe the defense will ask. The Defense Attorney will try and fluster you or get you angry. You need to keep your cool no matter what they ask."
"What kind of things is the Defense allowed to ask?" Chloe asked.
"Just about everything pertaining to the case is on the table," Aubrey said. "He'll try to play up your supposed affair with Chicago-"
"I am not having an affair with Chicago!"
"And I thought Beca was going to be the one I needed to worry about," Aubrey said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What part of keep your cool are you not understanding, Chloe?"
"Sorry," Chloe said meekly. "I just don't like being accused of something I didn't do."
"Join the club," Beca muttered.
"What?" Chloe asked, looking at Beca.
"I said join the club," Beca responded. "Now you know how I felt every time you got angry with me because of something you saw in a magazine insinuating that I was cheating on you."
"That was different," Chloe huffed.
"Different? How?" Beca asked.
"I was trying to deal with Chicago during that time. And I know you weren't cheating on me. I just."
Chloe stopped talking as tears came to her eyes.
"You just what?" Beca asked softly.
"I screwed up, okay?" Chloe said as a tear fell. "Is that what you want to hear? I should have told you about Chicago and his threats of a custody suit when he first approached me. I'm sorry I didn't. If I had, we wouldn't be in this predicament right now. I'm so so sorry."
Chloe put her head in her hands and cried. Beca reached over and pulled Chloe into a hug.
"It's okay," Beca whispered while rubbing her back. "We both made mistakes. It's what we do from here on that matters." Beca looked over at Aubrey. "So, when is our meeting with the ADA, and are you going with us?"
"The meeting is tomorrow at two," Aubrey said. "And, yes, as your lawyer, I'll be going with you."
~~ Is This God's Way of Testing Me? ~~
"Mrs. and Mrs. Mitchell, thank you for coming in," ADA Madison said as Beca and Chloe entered her office with Aubrey. "I know you're all busy and have things to do, so we'll try and get through this as quickly as possible. Before we start, do you have any questions?"
"Aubrey, um, Miss Posen, said you might have someone here to ask us questions the defense may ask," Chloe said. "Will that happen today? Or will we have to come back?"
"My colleague, Jack Maxwell, should be here any-"
Suddenly, a man came rushing in, apologizing for being late.
"It's okay," ADA Madison said. "We've barely started."
ADA Maxwell sat down and looked around the table.
"Let me make the formal introductions," ADA Madison said. "Ladies, this is ADA Jack Maxwell. Jack, these are Beca and Chloe Mitchell, and this is Aubrey Posen, the Mitchells' lawyer."
"Mrs. Mitchell," ADA Maxwell said, nodding at Beca before turning to Chloe. "Mrs. Mitchell."
"Um," Beca said, drawing his attention. "To avoid any confusion, I'm Beca, and she's Chloe."
Jack nodded, saying, "I'm guessing Dianne has already told you that I'll be taking on the role of the Defense Attorney."
Beca and Chloe nodded.
"Okay, let's get started," ADA Madison said. "Um, Chloe, we'll start by calling you first. I want to run through how Mr. Walp came back into your life because that's how this all got started, right?"
"Right," Chloe said, nodding her head.
"Should I be a part of this?" Beca asked. "Don't I have to stay out of the courtroom while she's on the stand, so I don't hear what she says? So, it won't taint my testimony or something like that?"
"Watch a lot of legal shows, do ya?" ADA Maxwell asked, looking at Beca and chuckling softly.
Beca glared at him.
"Don't do that," ADA Madison said, looking at Beca. "The defense will say things like that to get a rise out of you. So don't take the bait."
"To answer your question," ADA Maxwell said. "In some cases, we might request that witnesses wait outside the courtroom, but we haven't made that request for this case, and neither has the defense. So, you can be in the room while your wife is giving her testimony."
"Oh, okay," Beca said. "Thank you."
"Let's move on," ADA Madison said. "A few things to remember. Dress appropriately for court; no jeans, shorts, tank tops, or t-shirts. Don't take anything to the stand with you. Try not to fidget and don't give any indication that you find the question objectionable or stupid. When you answer, be truthful and don't elaborate unless I or the defense ask you a follow-up question asking for more. These are suggestions, and they are directed at both of you. Jack, did I leave anything out?"
"I think you've covered everything," Jack responded.
"Great," Dianne said. "Chloe, I'll start with you since you'll be our first witness."
A/N: Next up, Chicago's trial starts.
