Siren Song - 186 A Dish Served Cold I + II

With this one stone two of her birds that she wanted revenge in would be killed.

After a few rings the clear sound of a young woman’s voice came through in french.

“Allo, qui est-ce ? Allo?”

“C’est moi Natalie. Charmaine. Tu souviens de moi?” Leaning forward with interest Chang took her time answering.

Behind her, Justin made an ugly face at the back of her head hearing her speak in French.

‘What stay and listen?’ I can’t understand a thing of what she’s saying, unlike the lunk beside me… It just isn’t fair, when I get home I’m immediately going to download a language app on my phone and start working on this!’

Even though he did not understand, Justin still wanted an explanation and stayed to listen anyways. After Shar spoke, he distinctly heard the sound of a clattering like the phone had dropped to the ground before it was hastily picked up.

“Oui. Je me souviens.” The voice of the woman came through sounding a little more shaken up and quiet.

‘Huh. I wonder what she said.’ Intrigued he looked at her and the malicious smile on her face.

“Bien. Alors tu te souviens que tu me dois de t’avoir sauvé?”

After stating her reasoning for calling Chang waited, taping her fingers impatiently on the desk. When there was no answer to her question, Chang started on a different vein.

“Prison must have truly been hard on you in your pregnancy. It was truly lucky that you were bailed out, before your pregnancy had come to full term. You would have lost your only child along with everything else.

“Yet what did the father do for you? Did he come to visit you while you were in there? Did he assist you in regaining your freedom?”

“No.” Almost inaudible Natalie’s voice came through.

“That’s right. He didn’t come to visit you or help you even once. He would have let you rot in there and pay for his crimes even and tried to push it all on you.

“Even once you were out and came to him, he wanted nothing to do with you anymore. He even rejected his son as his own.”

“That’s none of your business, shut up!”

“Oh but it is. How old is your son now Natalie, 2, 3 months old now? It must be hard caring for a small infant by yourself with a criminal conviction on your record. With no family support, and no father to help you raise a child with special needs.”

“What do you want from me Charmaine, I don’t have anything.”

“You do though. I want the phone records from last year between you and Robert Dumont regarding April 17th of 2019 as well as any pertaining to your son’s paternity. I also want the proof of your son’s DNA test.”

“You and I both truly know the truth. Your only loves are drugs and Robert Dumont.. or should I say were.” Lacing her fingers together on the desk she leaned forward. “I suppose your feelings might have changed after being made by him to bear the heavy weight of his crimes against me and then be discarded.”

“I can’t do what you want. He will hurt me. He will hurt Jean-Luc.”

“No, if you do as I ask I will protect you and your son. To show proof of my goodwill, if you check you bank account you will find that you have had a deposit made to your account totalling exactly what you needed for your son’s last hospital bill.”

Silence rained on the other end but Chang waited patiently. Natalie was no doubt checking her account in some way to see the proof of her words.

A gasp sounded before Natalie’s voice came out unsure and hesitant.

“Why me? Why would you help me after what I did to you last year. Why did you help me free me too?”

“Because I have someone I hate even more than I hold a distaste for you. You are just a means to my ends, and to ensure that I am willing to invest, don’t think much more of it. I want the proof sent to my email inbox or in my hands by tomorrow evening, the sooner the better Natalie. Good bye.” Uninterested in anything further that could be said Chang promptly hit the end call button and swiveled around in her chair. Smiling at the both of them smugly she crossed her arms and legs and leaned back.

Frustrated Justin ground his teeth and glared at her smug look.

“Why would you tell me to stay and listen if I was curious, and then speak in a way so I don’t understand a word of what you were saying.

“Eh it was kind of fun.” Shrugging Chang gave him a dismissive sound.

“Wow. OK then, what were you talking about with that woman that got you excited? Who was she, and what did you say to her to make her drop her phone?”

“Woah, Woah one question at a time. First her name is Natalie Martin, I called because her and my cousin have a rather interesting history together. She was rather surprised to hear from me for the first time in a long time as we have our own history which is quite interesting as well.”

“What kind of history, quit beating around the bush already.” Tapping his foot Justin motioned at her to just spit it out.

“The kind with baby mama drama, prison sentencing, and revenge.”

“Ooh, well damn, it just got interesting like a soap opera, is your cousin the dead beat daddy in this drama?”

“And a gold star for the ‘A’ student. Yep you guessed it.” Chang fired off a finger at him and gave him a big smile. “Plus, he had her stuck away in prison to pay for drugging me on my birthday last year. It was clearly the both of them colluding, but Robert threw her under the bus completely and managed to get himself acquitted of all charges.”

“Ugh. How did he get away with that?” Curling his upper lip in disgust Justin shook his head at the injustice.

“By being the slimy little creep that he is, and using grand-père’s name and her affections for him. That never sat right with me for the whole year, and I’ve been investigating the two of them. After I found out she was pregnant with his child, I bailed Natalie out and helped to greatly reduce her sentencing.”

“Why would you do that, she did drug you last year didn’t she?”

“Yes, but as I told her, I hate Robert even more. Plus she holds the information that can completely destroy Robert’s reputation and help imprison him as he should have been last year. At the time, though she refused to give him up, though I believed her feelings have changed after all this time. Especially as she is raising a child with special needs on her own.

“And I was correct. Natalie is now willing to help me move against Robert to help her son.”

“So wait, you are holding her kid’s future over her head?”

“Well that’s a blunt way to put it but yes I guess.” Startled Chang reared her head back and met his inscrutable gaze.

“Wow.” Justin paused and looked away from her eyes before meeting them again, his expression unreadable. “Do you have any wine?”

“Of course. I always have wine in my drawer.”

“‘K then.. I’m going to go pour myself a glass. I’ll leave you two be to talk or whatever.” His eyes avoiding hers Justin rose and left the room silently.

Seeing his reaction Chang felt a twinge in her heart and looked at Jian with confusion.

—-

Their conversation translated:

Hello who is this?

It’s me Natalie. Charmaine. Remember me?

Yes I remember.