I couldn’t believe she was making this about race. Although I’d made baseless accusations in the past, Michelle’s family has never displayed an ounce of racism—blatantly—towards me. In my younger years of knowing them, and because of their history with Michelle’s mother and her inclination to date black and Hispanic men, I held myself protectively against them. However, when I sit back and evaluate things, Michelle’s family, those that I’d been exposed to, had been nothing but generous to me, on the surface.
My better judgment is telling me that Amber’s using all the ammunition she can conjure because she’s that livid. It doesn’t make sense. You can’t admire and look up to your big cousin, and yet hate her ethnicity at the same time. That is the trickery of racism; it is always easy to resort to—to incite hatred, pain, and anger. It’s always easy for folks to find themselves accused of it because they unknowingly fall into the bowels of ire with a party of another race and use the most convenient and absolutely wrong weapon to fight with.
“…it doesn’t matter. My point is you’ve moved on to another victim; one that we’ve clearly assisted with seeing that he owns the property that the LBC branch is on. Yeah, I heard about the nice piece of change he donated at the charity. And let’s not mention the debt he paid off to Sebastian Adams.”
This clears up how she’s learned of Azmir. She wasn’t at the annual fundraising ball, so she didn’t learn about his donation first hand. It also clears up her familiar usage of the word benefactor. She did mention Adams was her field supervisor—George Adams, Sebastian’s father.
“I’m still waiting to see how you’re going to get out of this viral pornography of you on your knees. You may have sicced your Sugar Daddy’s lawyers on the firm, but as soon as it’s proven that you are the classless woman on the tape, your tenure with Smith, Katz, and Adams will disintegrate.” Amber cocks her head to the side, “That tape only further demonstrates your trashiness…your low class, ‘round the way girl essence. Yeah, Michelle got hooked by your woe is me act, but here’s where the buck stops.” She points behind her to the house. “She’s where the gravy train ends for my family!” A fling of saliva hits the tip of my nose as she edges closer and closer to me in her tirade.
I feel hands gripping my arms and I defensively snatch away, then wildly peer over my shoulder to find Ray.
“I think it’s time to leave, Ms. Brimm.”
In the midst of my escalating feelings of deprecation sponsored by Amber, I jerk my head towards him. Without words, I ask him to back off. Ray’s eyes pointedly divert to my hands. I glance down to see they’re balled into clinched fists, and I mean rock-hard coiled bunches. I haven’t felt this familiar fight or flight phenomenon in so long. I’m perhaps seconds away from hauling off and clocking Amber clear across her face. I’m suddenly aware of my heavy breathing, and I’m sure it hasn’t just started. I’ve been so wrapped up in being the catchment of her venomous words that I haven’t been aware of my instinctual reaction to them.
Apparently, neither is Amber, who’s catching her breath as she brings her fist to her mouth, realizing her state of fury. This little tête-à-tête has grown into a near physical bout, at least for me it has.
“Look…just get the hell out of here!” Amber hisses. “And I don’t care if you come with gifts instead of empty-handed or in a chariot instead of clunker, you’re not invited here. Stay the hell away from my family. With time, she’ll forget about you. She’s still young; by this time next year she’ll pass you up on the streets you’ll eventually be begging from.” She then steps closer. “I don’t care how dressed up and polished you appear, you’re nothing more than a ghetto, trashy, manipulative, conning, leaching whore. Erin deserves better than your kind.”
“I will—” I jump, but don’t advance forward.
“Ms. Brimm, it’s time to leave,” Ray calmly and firmly murmurs as he holds me from behind by my upper arms. He pulls me around to walk to the car. After he closes the door, I watch Amber give me a bidding shaking of the head before turning for the house.