Driven by artistic passion and a longing for change, Clovel boldly uprooted his life, moving to California to break free from the stagnant cycle and advance his art career. Motivated by providing for his family, especially after his father's passing...
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November 14th —Los Angeles, California
Tiana lay nestled on her grey sectional, drained from two weeks of relentless work. She hoped throwing herself into her job would shift her focus from the turmoil with Clovel. Despite her apologies, he remained silent for 13 days, a silence she understood, considering she had laid hands on him.
Interrupting the quiet, Carmen barged in, arms laden with bouquets of flowers.
"Hey, I've been trying to reach you," Carmen said, entering the room.
"Um—what?" Tiana responded, puzzled.
"First, your hair is cute! Also, take your phone off Do Not Disturb, and you'll find out what's going on. What the hell is up with you and Clovel?" Carmen said, making her way to the kitchen.
"Thanks...What do you mean?" Tiana paused her television and folded her arms.
"Desmond went to check on him; his phone was on voicemail. And you've been dodging our workouts," Carmen said, placing the flowers on the island.
"I haven't been dodging you... I just haven't been working out," Tiana replied, joining Carmen in the kitchen.
"You have five minutes to explain what's going on before I get mad," Carmen said, sitting down.
Tiana sighed deeply, handing Carmen the documents. Carmen looked puzzled.
"What's this?"
"It arrived at my job. I thought it was work-related until I opened it," Tiana said, frustrated.
Carmen read through the documents, her mind racing with questions about how and why Tiana received this information.
"Clovel never assaulted Aniyah," Carmen said, surprised.
"Then why was he arrested? It says aggravated assault," Tiana questioned.
"He got arrested without evidence. Clovel sued them for wrongful arrest. Someone tampered with this; it's inaccurate," Carmen explained.
Tiana was unsure if Carmen was being truthful or just defending her friend.
"You searched Clovel when you first met him; his arrest record wasn't hard to find. They must have redacted it, Tiana. Please tell me you didn't confront him about this," Carmen urged.
"All he mentioned was the police being called by his ex... nothing about a mugshot," Tiana rolled her eyes. "Keep reading."
Carmen continued reading about Jackie's incident. "It was self-defense," she concluded.
