Chapter 6 - The Backroom Deal.
The thirty-minute recess felt like a lifetime.
We were escorted to a small, windowless consultation room by a sympathetic bailiff who locked the door behind us.
My mother paced the tiny space, her hands trembling as the reality of what we had just done settled in.
Before she could speak, a sharp knock echoed against the heavy oak door.
Richard Latham stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his expensive cologne filling the cramped room.
He didn't look bored anymore; he looked like a predator that had just been cornered.
"Let's cut the theatrics, Ms. Moore," Latham said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"I don't know who gave you those forged documents, but if you go back out there, I will personally see to it that you are buried in defamation lawsuits for the rest of your natural life."
My mother shrank back, the old fear returning to her eyes.
I stepped between them, clutching my cardboard folder to my chest.
"They aren't forged, and you know it," I said, glaring up at his towering frame.
Latham sneered, pulling a sleek leather checkbook from his inner suit pocket.
"Two hundred thousand dollars, tax-free, right now," he offered, uncapping a gold fountain pen.
"You sign a non-disclosure agreement, drop the suit, and you and your little brat can start a new life anywhere you want."
I didn't even look at the checkbook.
"The price just went up," I replied evenly.
Latham’s eyes narrowed in confusion.
"To what?" he demanded.
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"Your law license, Headmaster Hale's resignation, and a public confession," I stated.
Latham barked a harsh laugh, turned on his heel, and slammed the door behind him.
