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He laughs cruelly. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, son. The reputation damage that the company is going tosuffer from this event will be astronomical. And how can he even be in trouble for fucking an escort? Isn’t that exactly why you hire them?”
I grit my teeth at his refusal to see what a scumbag Karl is. “He took an eighteen-year-old’s virginity after signing a contract that he wouldn’t, that’s the problem. He got her drunk and raped her.”
“Sorry if I have a hard time believing an escort was a virgin. Although I’m surprised that you don’t seem to be bothered by our family business being in jeopardy because of some stunt your ex is pulling.” The disappointment in his voice hurts, even though I know I did the right thing. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after the way you sulked around about her after the breakup, but I had hoped you’d have come to your senses by now.”
“Dad,” I say, keeping my tone firm. “This isn’t about anything related to what I feel for Roxanne. This is about you calling me and being angry that I helped a victim go and make her statement to the police! It could have been any escort agency in town, and I’d have done the same thing. Plus, Roxanne isn’t profiting off this in any way. All it’s going to do is cause her legal trouble, but just like me taking Patricia to the police station, Roxanne is doing it because it’s the right thing to do.”
My dad lowers his voice to a quiet, furious hiss. “I don’t give a fuck about what is going on in Amsterdam with hookers and their clients. Karl used an alias to keep our business separated from what he was doing on the side, but your ex had to go and expose him, which from what I understand, she and this Patricia both signed an NDA. Now I have the police barging into my place of business and arresting one of my top employees,andsince he’s a public figure due to his ex-wife’s status, as soon as the news gets out people will be able to look up what he’s done. I’ve never had a single incident like this before in the entirehistory of my career, but the second you get the chance to mess with my life's work in any way, you ruin it. Congratulations.”
I huff a disbelieving laugh. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like you’re siding with Karl here, because you’re quick to tell me what I’ve done wrong, as well as what Patricia and Roxanne have done wrong. But I feel like I detect some sympathy for that prick Karl.”
“Do I agree with what he was out doing? No. But he hired this girllegallyfrom an escort company and gave a fake name so it wouldn’t affect our business in any way. So no, I can’t fault him, because he isn’t the one out there trying to ruin me and my reputation. That would be your acquaintance’s job, Andries. Oh, and you too since you’ve admitted to encouraging that little escort to report him.”
“I can’t believe you’re siding with a rapist because of image, Dad.” I have to take a few deep breaths to center myself before continuing. “I’m beyond shocked.”
“You are too young to understand the real world, Andries. I promise once you get to be my age that’ll drop all this self-righteous nonsense. You’re not a hero, and you never will be. Successful men make the tough choices to succeed. It’s as simple as that.”
“I hope you can sleep at night, knowing that you’d throw an innocent girl under the bus to save your employee.”
“Goodbye, son,” Dad says, sounding almost amused at this point, and he disconnects the call before I can utter another word.
The entire conversation leaves me reeling. Dad had been so angry, so full of vitriol, that I hadn’t even had time to absorb the biggest shock of the conversation: Robert was Karl.
Roxanne might have called him a friend, and that had been enough for me to help push my Dad toward promoting him, but now that decision is biting me in the ass tenfold, becausehad Karl still been a lower-level employee, it wouldn’t be such a hit for Van Den Bosch industries’ reputation. Not only that, but I had to live with the fact that I stuck my neck out for a pervert that would take advantage of young girls when given the opportunity.
Poor Patricia. Poor Roxanne. Neither of them deserved this, no matter what bad choices they both made in their day-to-day lives. Patricia especially had just made a single mistake in taking that job and now she’d be front and center of a media storm against an employee of one of the biggest companies in the Netherlands. She might be able to line her pockets from it, but I know all too well that money doesn’t take away the pain and humiliation of heartbreak and being taken advantage of.
Then again, had Roxanne not offered Patricia the job in the first place, none of this would have happened. Her friendship with Karl blinded her to what his real intentions were, even when outsiders like me and Elise could see clearly that he just wanted to take Patricia’s virginity.
Roxanne… my beautiful, stubborn, powerful, flawed Roxanne. She’s a dichotomy that threatens to tear me apart. Had her escort agency been something else like a modeling agency, she’d have been the perfect woman for me, but, alas, her agency goes against everything I believe in.
Fuck. This isn’t going to get solved here sitting on my couch. I need to check if Elise and Patricia already know the truth too. I can’t ever feel guilty for helping Patricia, but it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m looking forward to the fallout it’s about to cause.
She didn’t even want to make the report. This is a problem of your own making, my subconscious reminds me, but I discard the thought immediately. Patricia is a victim, even if she doesn’t want to admit it yet.
I check my watch and groan. I have one more class today, so I text my sister briefly as I head outside:Let’s meet up after class and check on Patricia.
She replies a few seconds later.Okay, I’ll see you outside of your lecture hall.
Once more I’m entering into a lecture with a head full of personal problems, which isn’t exactly ideal for my education. Hopefully it will just be a recap day.
It was absolutely not a recap day, and my head feels like it’s stuffed full to bursting with all the information that I’ve had to retain today. Luckily, after all the zoning out in class I had been doing right after my breakup, I had gotten into the habit of recording the lectures on my phone so I could listen back later.
Like clockwork, Elise is waiting for me outside of my lecture hall, a brown leather messenger bag slung across her body and a paper bag from the local bakery in her hand. “I thought we could bring Patricia some goodies. I have a class with her in the morning, and she wasn’t looking so great today.”
My stomach rumbles. “That’s nice of you. Can I see?”
Elise hands me the bag and I pluck an orange cranberry scone out, biting the pastry before Elise can wrestle it away from me.
“Hey!” she yells, grabbing the bag out of my hands and holding it to her chest. “Those aren’t for you! Glutton.”
“What does Patricia need with a dozen pastries? I don’t think she’s going to miss one.”
We walk together to Patricia’s residence hall, but I can tell something is on Elise’s mind besides scones. “You have something you want to share, little sister?”
“Yes, but I don’t know if you’re going to be mad or relieved when I do.”
“I’ve had my share of shitty conversations today, so as long as you’re not going to outright insult me, it’ll be an improvement,” I tell her with a chuckle.
