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My grandmother is nothing if not persistent.
“Yes, please. Do you have a tablet with you? You can show her the video. I don’t want her to realize I’m on the phone,” I explain.
“I don’t, but I’m sure Bast does. He usually keeps one with him. Send me the video, and I’ll get everything set. I’ll call you back in a few minutes,”Levi says before he hangs up.
Sending the video to Levi, I refill my glass. Taking a sip, I wait for him to call me back. I can’t wait to see what bullshit my grandmother tries to come up with.
She has never been this cruel before, but we had some harsh words a few months ago after Chastity was sent to her. She swore up and down that she was the right person for her redemption.
My phone buzzes and I sigh, answering and putting the call on speaker. I can hear the hiss of fabric against the phone and I’m assuming I’m in Levi’s pocket. Muting my phone, I lean back with my drink, ready to enjoy the show.
“Mother Superior, could I have a moment?” Levi asks politely.
“Father Levi, I’m in the middle of getting the signatures I need to have Chastity transferred. She’s not well,”my grandmother says, ignorant of the bomb about to drop on her.
Smirking, I shake my head.Not today, old woman.
“Yeah, I really don’t think you’ll want to continue on this path, Mother Cross, once you see what I have to show you,”Levi grunts.
Sighing, my grandmother says, “You have fifteen minutes. Do the boys really have to be here for this? This feels like a frivolous ploy to save my granddaughter from the help she needs.”
“All I want is for Chastity to get the help she needs,”Ash says, surprising me. I don’t believe he’s been very happy about having Chastity around, and I didn't expect him to stick up for her. “Mother Cross, with all due respect, please just come and see what we need you to see.”
My grandmother scoffs, and I can hear her shoes as she walks to where the guys want her to go. I expect it to be some kind of quiet waiting room, because no one should accidentally see the footage they will be playing.
“This better be good,”she mutters, and I roll my eyes as I take another sip of my drink.
The heat of the alcohol is relaxing my body, and I know I’m on the way to getting drunk.
“This is where Chastity went when she left with her father and stepmother,”Levi explains as I hear him tap the tablet. “As you can see, she didn’t do anything wrong, outside of trusting the wrong people. People who promised her time with her daughter, which is all she's ever wanted.”
My grandmother gasps, and I can hear the sound of her rosary beads. “They’re… beating her! Maxen is just watching… How can this be happening? He’s her father!”
She sounds choked up as she watches, and as the video continues, Mother Cross sobs for the lost innocence of her granddaughter.
“I have confirmation that Chastity’s rights as a parent were terminated that day, as you can see Isabella forcing her to sign the paperwork,”Levi explains, his voice clinical and distant. I wonder if he had time to watch this once through before showing my grandmother, because he sounds so detached.
“Chastity felt she had nothing to live for, and so she stood in the Academy’s Chapel, and did what she believed she had to do. You released your ward to people who beat her and abused her, Mother Cross.”
The sound of my grandmother shaking her head can be heard because of the fabric of her habit. “I didn’t know,”she moans softly.
I would almost feel bad if the woman hadn’t spent so much time making my sister’s life a living hell.
“Due to your negligence, if I release this to the police, you could be charged with dereliction of duty to your ward. That's if I let you off easy. If I can prove you willingly knew Chastity’s father and stepmother would do this, then—”My grandmother cuts Levi off with a screech.
“I knew no such thing. I was happy for her, as I thought she earned her redemption. There’s no way I would sign off on her leaving Holy Cross with her parents if I knew it was to be assaulted and manipulated,”Grandmother hisses.
“Nevertheless, Chastity is laying bruised and battered in a bed across the hall from us, which means you are still responsible for her well-being,”Ash says, picking up for Levi. “This means, if you continue to speak about that terrible prison you call a mental institution, we will release this to the police. Is that understood? Chastity will remain at Holy Cross.”
“You can’t do that,”my grandmother complains. “Holy Cross isn’t safe for her. We need to hide her away.”
“No,”Levi bites out. “We will make it safe for Chastity. You will never hide her away again.”
My grandmother agrees as she cries, and I can hear the guys stand and walk away.
Levi pulls the phone out of his pocket and starts. “Did you hear all of that? You may need to help if she decides to push back,”Levi murmurs.
“I don’t think she’ll be a problem, but if she is, please don’t hesitate to tell me. I will deliver the video to my friend on the police force, who will ensure my grandmother is removed as a problem, and that no one else sees the video,” I promise.
