One million dollars -- a dream come true for struggling college student Ashlynn Morgan. All she has to do is sign on the dotted line and agree to become surrogate mother for CEO multi billionaire Felix Dunnerson and his wife Deborah.
Yet, during th...
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I can't breathe. My head hammers from a dull pain under my skull and the bright lights from the ceiling sting my eyes. The rest of me is numb to the core.
"Ashlynn, are you sure that this is what you want to do?"
It takes all my effort to focus on Professor Hill's face. "What else can I do?"
Sit it out? Wait a few days until the prosecutors is ripe to make me a better deal? Hope that the charges will be dismissed?
"I have to get to the hospital." I click my tongue, unable to fathom why this request is even up for discussion.
"As your attorney, I have to advise against this. If you take the deal that's on the table today, you will have a criminal record. This will likely preclude you from ever practicing law. However, if the Dunnersons are no longer pressing forward with the criminal case, chances are that the DA will dismiss the charges altogether, especially if they refuse to testify. You could get out of this with nothing but an arrest record."
But that would require time, time I don't have. I massage the bridge of my nose in a futile attempt to get rid of my stabbing headache. The thought that Quentin is fighting for his life at the hospital echoes unreal in my head.
My focus returns to Professor Hill. "Just get the paperwork ready, alright?"
"Sure, if that's what you want."
"How long will it take before I can get out of here?"
"A couple of hours. The DA is on standby, we just need to find a judge to sign off on your bail until you can formally enter a guilty plea in court."
He leaves me behind in the small conference room to make a few phone calls; all I can do is drum my fingers on the table. After Felix's call to the warden, I expected my release to be easy. He was going to drop the charges, I could get processed out, and Silk could come by to take me to the hospital.
Then the whole bureaucracy of the State of California hit me like a bulldozer. Without bail, I wasn't going anywhere, and since I didn't have my court appearance earlier, the District Attorney had to agree to my release. Of course, the asshole took my predicament as an opportunity to blackmail me into a quick plea deal. Endangering the Welfare of a Child—a misdemeanor, and the absolute minimum he was going to offer in a case that had reached national tabloid headlines. With reelection just around the corner, his tough stance on crime was high on his agenda.
Stretched seconds turn into minutes that turn into an hour, then two. The click of the hand on the clock, moving forward, is the only sound that disturbs the silence in the room. Without a window, the whitewashed walls choke me and I'm tempted to kick against the legs of the bolted table. What is taking Professor Hill so long?
Finally, the door opens. He gives me the thumbs up as he crosses the threshold. "Won't be long now."
