A Man Already Gone

The day I got back from a trip, my housekeeper filed a lawsuit against my father and me.

In court, she stood with her visibly pregnant belly, her voice shaking with anguish.

"Jethro Roberts and his son are nothing but monsters. They tricked me into moving into their home under the excuse of offering me a job as a housekeeper. They tied me to a bed and abused me.

"The baby I am carrying belongs to Jethro Roberts."

Her mother wept hard, nearly collapsing from the strain.

"These two monsters destroyed my daughter's life! They should pay with their lives."

As soon as she spoke, the courtroom burst into an uproar.

"Shameless criminals! The dad couldn't even be bothered to appear in court. They must be punished severely!"

"That's right. Look at the son. He's actually smiling. He has no conscience! They both deserve to pay for what they did."

Then, I calmly stepped forward and presented my evidence.

A stunned silence swept through the courtroom.

The moment I walked through the door, I did what I always do. I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through social media.

Out of nowhere, a cry for help on a local forum caught my eye.

I tapped on it, and the title made my heart skip a beat.

[My employer's dad took advantage of me. What should I do?]

Reading the details below, I could not help but furrow my brow.

[Not long after I started my new job, the man of the house told me he was going on a trip, leaving me by myself.]

[However, no sooner had he left than his dad showed up...]

The word 'trip' stopped me in my tracks.

I had just come back from a trip myself, and I had a housekeeper at home too.

I kept reading.

[He pulled me into the bedroom, and I was too scared to fight back. Afterward, he warned me to keep quiet. I was terrified!]

[I just found out I'm pregnant, and the man of the house has just returned. I don't know what to do!]

[Oh, and he knows all about what his dad did.]

The comments were blowing up.

[Call the cops, girl! Don't let those monsters get away with it!]

[A father and son crime duo? That's just sick!]

[It's been so long. It'll be tough to prove what happened. Maybe try talking to your employer in private first and see if you can get some compensation.]

I scrolled further. The original poster had liked the last comment and replied: [Thanks for the advice. I'll talk to them first.]

Just then, Harriet Lawson, my housekeeper, stopped cleaning and came up to me.

"Sir, there's something I need to tell you."

My heart dropped. I could not help but think of the post I just read, but I kept my face calm.

"What is it?"

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm pregnant. The baby is three months old.

"I-it's Mr. Roberts's."

I was floored. I stood still as the room seemed to spin around me. There was no way.

The Mr. Roberts she was talking about was my dad, Jethro Roberts.

I could not help but ask her, "Do you even realize what you're saying?"

Harriet nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Sir, please believe me. I'm not trying to cause a big scene.

"Just give me $700,000 for taking care of the kid and another $300,000 for my emotional compensation.

"After that, I promise I won't bug you again."

Her words might have sounded nice at first, but she really was asking for way too much.

I had to laugh when I saw how serious she looked. I knew for sure that my dad would never do something like that.

I took a deep breath and stared straight at her. "You're trying to scam me. I'm not giving you any money!"

Harriet frowned a little and said, "Sir, you've got to understand. No woman would lie about something this important.

"To you, this money is just a drop in the bucket.

"I don't want to make a big deal out of this," she added.

I just snorted. "Sure, I've got the cash, but I'm not going to be taken for a fool!"

When she saw I was not budging, Harriet got louder and her eyes fiercer.

"You really won't pay? Okay, then I'll tell everyone! I'll post it on forums, social media, and even tell your company. I won't hold back."

I looked her in the eye. "Go ahead. I'm ready for whatever you've got."

Harriet glared at me hard. "We'll see if you're still this brave in court!"

With that, she stormed out and slammed the door behind her.