Chapter 49
24: Security footage
<<Avery>>
After talking to M, I freshen myself up and go to the kitchen to eat something. I am feeling ravenous.
“Good thing you are awake,” Uncle Orin says while preparing scramble eggs with beans for me.
When he hands me the plate, I cannot help but ask him, “When Was the last time you took a leave.”
He laughs and says, “Well I went to attend my son’s wedding six months ago.’
”
He looks hesitant for a moment then says, “I probably have no right… but I hope you find someone who is right for you…”
He adds in a low voice. “That boy.. I never liked him.”
I know he is talking about Ethan.
Now that he is getting married to Della, saying these words out loud can get him fired in a heartbeat.
It doesn’t matter that he gave this family 20 years. He is still dispensable. I give him a tight smile
while leaning on the counter.
I stuff a mouthful of scramble eggs in my mouth to smother the uncomfortable silence.
After a while, I glance outside the kitchen door then ask him, “Are they having trouble? Last night he
said he wants to back off from the wedding with her.”
“It is true,” a voice says from behind me, and we both stiffen.
It’s Dad.
Fuck, I thought I was being discreet. I don’t want uncle Orin in trouble,
“Joy has gone out to see Della, so you guys can be loud,” He says and a twitch of a smile forms on his
face.
I stifle my laugh and Uncle Orin turns his head to avoid looking at dad. I am happy that dad is not completely spellbound by my stepmother anymore.
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“Oh, God!” Dad groans as he sits on a bar table near the tiny bar counter. He is really weak now. It feels bizarre to see him like this. We often see our parents as superheroes who can never grow old or weak. Seeing him like this makes me realize I am a big girl too. I mean, I always knew. But I still feel odd.
“Last night he told me… he wants to get back with you and I wanted to punch his face in front of all the guests.” Dad admits.
“Did you tell Joy?”
“Yes.. I told her we should break ties with them but…” He sighs.
“Our businesses are too intertwined with each other to back off this easily.” I state the obvious.
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“And I think, right now, only a marriage alliance can keep everything safe and in place.”
I haven’t seen the accounts but probably Della relied too much on the Johnson family when dad was sick. Only that could explain this shift in business.
Anyway, I will be happy if Ethan and Della get married and make each other miserable for their
whole life long. I think to myself and stuff my mouth with a bite full of beans to stifle the grin that
formed on my face.
After my late lunch, I spent the rest of my day resting. I am not even allowed to watch tv, read books
or use too much phone. I have been told to minimize any distractions. Over stimulation will delay
my recovery. By evening, I get so bored I text Lena.
Me: ‘We are going shopping tomorrow afternoon. I will die if I stay in bed for one more day.‘
Lena: ‘But the doctor said two days!!!‘
Me: ‘Nothing will happen if I cut short my rest by 6 hours.‘
Lena: ‘I don’t know Avery…
Me: ‘Please Please pretty please!!!‘
Lena: ‘Lol Okay. Tomorrow afternoon it is.‘
I grin and walk downstairs, only to see an officer talking to my dad.
I frown. Why did nobody inform me?
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“Oh Avery..” Dad startles as he sees me and closes the lid of the laptop in front of me.
“What happened? What were you watching?”
“Nothing important…” He says.
I shake my head and open the lid. I know he is lying.
“It’s not good. I don’t think you should.”
It’s the security footage of my assault from last night.
I swallow hard and say, “I want to see it.”
He sighs, and the officer says, “I would like to ask you a few questions before you watch it. Watching it first can temper your judgment or make you upset…”
I nod and take a seat. He sets turns on a recorder and takes out a notepad to jot down my replies. He asks me questions and I tell him as much as I remember.
When they finally play the clip, I realize they were right. I might not be ready to watch it, but I watch
it anyway.
I see myself on screen, in the form of a few pixels. As I walk out of the lift, my heartbeat increases. I was thinking about that stupid car and whether I wanted to keep it or return it. Oblivious to what was about to happen the next minute. After placing the bag in the car, I turn. Presumably when that
man called me out for help.
The camera switches to focus on the man, but the screen is almost black, because is standing in dark.
“Hotel security said the lights in this section had gone bad two days ago. So it could just be a mere bad–luck that you parked your car near this spot. He called you out and decided to attack you,” the
officer explains as I watch the video holding my breath.
The video continues, and I walk towards the man. My heart thumps hard and I want to call myself out to stop myself from going there to help him. It’s like watching a horror movie knowing there is a danger and the person on screen shouldn’t go there.
Rest happens exactly how I described to officers in my statement. I knee him and move away. He grabs my hair and bangs my head on a car.
I feel a splitting headache after watching my head bang that hard. I press my head and continue
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watching.
For a flicker of a second, his face comes in the light. I don’t know if that can be used to identify him. It’s too small.
“Why are security footage are so small and poor quality?” Dad asks.
“Because they have to record 24 by 7. No one can afford that much data or storage space if the video is of high quality. It’s impractical,” He explains, and I nod.
“I guess mostly nothing happens in most of the camera footage the building or companies install.” I say and the Officer nods.
“Isn’t it surprising that he is standing mostly in the dark and his face isn’t visible anywhere?” Dad asks again.
“We have checked the records when the light went bad two days ago. There was no foul play. We
really think he attacked Ms. Avery randomly. Because she was near his spot.” the officer replies.
I don’t know how I feel about it. I guess it’s a good thing that I am not on somebody’s hit list.
Rest plays out as I remember. I picked up the fire extinguisher; we exchange a few words. I have told the officer in my statement what he threatened to do. The lift opens, the camera switches inside
the lift and Liam is standing inside.
“You were lucky he was in there,” the officer says and my eyes water, remembering the panic I felt
when he touched my shoulder. I almost bashed his head.
“Did he see the attacker? “Dad asks.
“No, I have to contact him for a statement today. He was busy and said he will visit us at the police station in the evening,” the officer replies.
Wow, I have caused him so much trouble. I think to myself.
The officer leaves, promising they try to find the attacker, but he is sure that it was just a mugging case. He wanted to kidnap and assault me.
I think the officer skipped the word rape or sexual assault only because dad was with me. Or maybe he didn’t want to say it in front of me. I feel a shiver of fear in my whole body anyway.
Uncle Orin rubs my back as Dad leaves the room with office. I turn and say, “I didn’t realize you
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were here.”
He smiles. “You had a hard night. You need to take rest.”
I roll my eyes.
“I cannot watch TV or read or do anything! I don’t know how to distract myself? “I complain.
“Come on! Help me in the kitchen. It will distract you.”
So I do exactly that. I feel happy doing nothing. Because uncle Orin is cooking with such precision, I feel I will ruin anything I touch. So I am sitting on the bar chair and twirling on it like a little girl.
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Dad comes inside the kitchen after a while and says, “Your sister Liam was really helpful yesterday. Why don’t you invite him for lunch or dinner so we can thank him properly for his help so far?”
I smile and nod. I wonder how dad will feel if I present him as my ‘fake husband‘ in front of everyone. Although luckily Ethan hadn’t spoken about it in front of everyone. So that is not needed
yet.
My relief, however, is short–lived by dinner time as the Pandora box I was dreading, finally opens.
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