“Come with us, Tina,” her mother said. “Julia!” she called. “Get the dinner ready, I’ll be with you in half an hour.”
Tina followed her parents to their bedroom, and sat on a couch as her mother sat on the bed and her Dad remained standing, looking very thoughtful and disturbed. Tina was used to seeing him very calm and composed...even when he caught her red-handed in a group sex episode in her bedroom.
“Matt called me before you arrived. Apparently he thinks he has me cornered,” her Dad spoke.
“And has he not got you cornered?” her mother demanded. “You gotta dance to his tune unless you want the whole world in on the secret.” She turned to Tina. “Tina, how could you! See what you are doing to us? And then you and Julia aloowed a total visitor to sneak in and steal that video!”
“Please stop, Mom, just stop! I’m embarrassed enough. I’m really sorry to bring all this upon you.”
Her Dad spoke again. “He wants half a million or he will splash the video all over the net, in his own words. He also has identified a magazine and they are on standby, waiting for him to make a call. Apparently the magazine is offering two hundred grand, but I doubt that. And you are clearly visible and recognizable on the video, going by his word.” He shrugged. “I told him we would arrange to meet tomorrow at one P.M., but he’s scared or careful and will send a ‘rep’ as he calls him who should receive the money in a briefcase and hand over the tape in a public place. I have a friend working on that.”
“Working on what?” his wife asked.
“Never mind. Let’s see how it works out,” Tina’s Dad said. “Matt can be stopped.”
Then he began to pace the room.
“You alright, honey? I got this feeling...something else is bothering you,” Tina’s mother said as she joined her Dad and hugged him, looking up at his face.
He smiled wanly at her. “Something else. You are right. Been buying time, trying to put it off my mind. Can you handle it? I’m praying and hoping you can handle it...Tina too.”
Tina’s mother stepped back, looking puzzled and worried at the same time. “You mean something worse than what is already happening? And what is it this time?” She suddenly stepped forward. “Another woman? Please tell me you...oh no, you wouldn’t!” She covered her face. “Oh my God, tell me it’s...”
He came forward and held her hands. Tina was watching her father’s face keenly, sitting very still. She couldn’t take the suspense.
“I would never divorce you, honeypie. You would be the first to divorce me. It’s...” he sighed. “You remember I told you just before we got married I had a relationship with another woman and we broke up just before I got married to you?”
Tina frowned.
Her mother didn’t react so much. “You mean Tanya...the girl you were seeing before we got married? I remember we broke up for five months and I took you back...”
“No, I’m the one who took you back..” her Dad began.
“No, it was me...”
“Anyway, er....she was expecting a child. The girl should be Tina’s age now.”
“Are you kidding me?” Tina stood up, clenching her fists. “I have a sister I have never met and I’m hearing about it now and you are arguing about who took who back after twenty-three years?”
Her mother was staring at her Dad, looking shocked and speechless.
“Okay...okay...okay...she has a child, who is your biological daughter,” Tina’s mother spoke at last. “So? Have you just learned that? And have there been new developments that have made you face the issue at this particular point?”
“Yes. Her mother has decided that it’s time she sued me for back child support in arrears. It will be my daughter suing me, which the law allows her to as an adult child, but it’s Tanyabehind it all.”
“I have no problem with her suing you,” Tina’s mother said. “You fathered a child, you neglected her, you got the money, you pay!”
“She wants one million or we go to court and I’m afraid the court might award her much more, considering my financial ability among other things. Then the publicity! She knows I can’t afford dragging this into the media’s glare!”
“What a coincidence,” Tina’s mother said sarcastically. “So your legitimate daughter has been involved in a sex video that has set the stage for blackmail, and your illegitimate daughter has threatened to take you to court for unpaid child support payments!”
“Coincidence, yes, but don’t make it sound like a joke! And you know what? The two will be here in half an hour.”
“What!” this time mother and daughter spoke in unison.
“It’s alright. I didn’t want to meet them out there. It’s safer here. Tonight.”
“This should be interesting,” Tina said, rubbing her hands together. Life was sure getting getting interesting around here.
“Are you going to pay?” her mother asked.