Chapter 237: Triumphs, Confessions, and Shadows in the Crowd

A month passed in a blur.

"Traaaang!"

"Yeeeeah!"

"Whuooooh!"

Monica bowed at the front of the stage, facing a packed arena as The Empress’s concert finally came to a triumphant close. Watching from above, Eric looked down as Monica, Priya, Chloe, Heidi, and Laura caught their breath, their chests rising and falling while beaming with radiant energy. After lining up at the front to take a final bow, they headed backstage. Eric watched the security personnel calmly guide the remaining crowd toward the exits. As Eric stood there,

"Hey."

Someone approached him. Turning, he saw Mike standing right beside him. Looking back toward the stage, Eric spoke up,

"The Empress’s two newest tracks are dropping soon and heading straight into their upcoming album," Eric noted.

"Awesome, The Empress is blowing up even more lately. Listen, I came down here carrying both good news and bad news, which one do you want first?" Mike asked.

"Hmm... let’s go with the bad news first," Eric answered.

"Alright... ever since he was locked up a month ago and released the next day, your uncle has kept whining and crying on social media. Now he’s posting about how you’re a completely ungrateful, unfilial brat who didn’t even visit or pay for his mother’s medical care when she fell ill... he didn’t drop your name directly, but the target is pretty obvious," Mike reported.

"Well... both of us know that’s complete garbage, right? Plus, my mom left comments under his posts setting the record straight... so what’s the good news?" Eric asked.

"The good news is your uncle is now facing a massive lawsuit filed by your mom through my firm over defamation, slander, and intentional infliction of emotional distress," Mike answered.

"Wait... my mom is suing him?" Eric asked, turning his head sharply toward Mike.

"Yeah... because his posts were completely unhinged. Your mom just took a minor tumble while gardening, accidentally smacked her head against a garden gnome, and passed out from the shock. But he twisted that into her having terminal cancer with six months to live, and even paid for bots to make it go viral! Your mom was going crazy because neighbors kept showing up in tears cursing you out, hahaha... wild stuff," Mike chuckled.

"Yeah... I know. That’s why I can’t even be bothered dealing with him, it just keeps getting dumber and dumber. Don’t tell me he’s trying to make money off my mom’s name too," Eric said.

"Bingo. That’s actually the main reason your mom came to my office on your recommendation, because of that exact money issue. Your uncle is absurdly creative. He’s playing the role of the devoted brother-in-law coming to the rescue of a sick, divorced sister-in-law who got abandoned by her own children. He even dropped a bank account number right in the comments," Mike replied.

"Wait... are you serious?" Eric asked.

"Yeah... he even managed to launch a GoFundMe page under the guise of a guy trying to help his lover who’s battling cancer and abandoned by her filthy-rich son, framing the rich kid as a heartless monster who doesn’t care about his own parents," Mike answered.

"Man... did he manage to pull in a lot of cash?" Eric asked.

"Ha... before he could touch a dime, it got taken down. We sent proof to the GoFundMe team showing your mom has zero romantic ties to your uncle, along with her actual medical records that clearly explain what really happened... I also hit your uncle with a strict cease-and-desist letter. His post asking for money is already gone, though we still have the screenshots," Mike answered.

"Oh... well that’s a relief. The nerve of that guy," Eric replied.

"Anyway, there’s another thing... your older brother wants to talk to you, your dad, and Ruby. What do you think?" Mike asked.

"What did my dad and Ruby say?" Eric countered.

"Hard pass... and?" Mike prompted.

"Nope. Not interested in talking to him at all," Eric answered.

"Hmm... well, in that case, take this."

Mike pulled out a letter and held it toward Eric. Naturally, Eric didn’t reach out right away, keeping his eyes fixed on Mike.

"What’s this?" Eric asked.

"A prison courier dropped this off at my office earlier, addressed to my client... which happens to be you, since you’re officially my client now," Mike answered.

"Hmm... the envelope’s already unsealed. Did you read it?" Eric asked.

"Yeah... that’s why I brought it to you. There are no legal liabilities or hidden traps in it," Mike assured him.

Eric took the envelope, pulled out the folded sheet of paper, and unfolded it. He instantly recognized the handwriting, Jason’s messy, chaotic scrawl that remained just barely legible.

"Eric, I’m sorry for writing this to you. I don’t expect you to write back. Life in here is brutal, every single day someone tries to beat me up. But I finally get it. I deserve every bit of this because of how I treated you all those years..."

Eric read through Jason’s raw confession: how he used to pay people to bully Eric when they were kids only to swoop in like a hero; how whenever Eric got close to a girl in middle school, Jason would intentionally pursue her and steal her away, and if she refused, he’d have her harassed until she stayed away from him. He recalled how Jason always claimed Eric’s hard work as his own out of pure spite, and yet, despite all that cruelty, Eric had always looked up to him as a respected older brother. The letter concluded,

"I’m not asking for anything from you. I don’t expect you to forgive me. But if you can find it in your heart, let me talk to you. I’m sorry, truly, deeply sorry. In here, I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I finally understand. Once again, I’m sorry... goodbye, Eric... Jason."

Eric folded the letter back up and slid it into the envelope. He felt a sudden weight lift off his chest, a deep sense of closure settling deep within him. Turning to Mike, he handed the letter back.

"Just file it away in the archives," Eric said casually.

Mike took the letter and studied Eric’s expression. A knowing smile broke across Mike’s face as he instantly understood what the letter meant to him. Nodding in silence, Mike slipped the envelope into his jacket pocket. Then, he leaned against the metal railing alongside Eric, looking out over the empty arena.

"He sent letters to your dad, your mom, and Ruby too, not just you," Mike mentioned.

"Oh... have they read them?" Eric asked.

"Not a single one of them bothered to open it, hahaha," Mike laughed. "Though word is, the contents were identical. Maybe the guy really did find religion behind bars," Mike added.

"Maybe... good for him," Eric replied.

"By the way, when does Nobelia perform?" Mike asked.

"Two weeks from now. They’re dropping a three-song set, but I’ve only finished writing two so far, still need one more," Eric answered lazily.

"Ah... no wonder Jade’s been stumbling home around 7 PM these past few days," Mike noted.

"Yeah... she’s been rehearsing downstairs with Ms. Keisha. You aren’t getting paranoid, are you?" Eric teased.

"Man... I’m way past that phase. Don’t forget, before we moved here, Jade and I survived a whole year of long-distance dating," Mike scoffed.

"Hahaha... fair point," Eric laughed.

"Still... Jade mentioned something else lately. Someone’s been tailing her from time to time and not just her, but everyone involved with Nobelia," Mike said, his tone turning dead serious.

"Yeah... Emma and Ruby mentioned it too. Tania didn’t say anything, but her new boyfriend brought it up to me," Eric replied.

"Oh yeah, what’s his name? Greg? The guy who’s like a foot taller than us?" Mike asked.

"Yep, that’s him. He happened to drop Tania off for practice and we chatted for a bit," Eric confirmed.

"According to Jade, the guy never asks questions or acts overtly suspicious, but he keeps popping up everywhere they go, that’s what’s creepy about it. She said he gives off total private investigator vibes," Mike shared.

"Emma said the exact same thing. Sounds like someone’s digging hard to gather dirt on them. We need to stay sharp, bro," Eric warned.

"Totally. That’s why I’m here hanging back, waiting for Jade to finish up," Mike said.

"Dude... practice wrapped up ages ago. She usually hangs out at Melissa’s pastry cafe by now. Go check your phone," Eric urged, glancing at Mike.

"Oh, seriously? Let me look," Mike panicked.

Pulling out his smartphone, Mike stared in horror, there were 20 missed calls from Jade and a barrage of 20 unread messages starting with polite inquiries and ending with red angry-face emojis. All the color drained from Mike’s face as he whipped his head toward Eric.

"Crap... she’s furious. I gotta run, my phone was silenced because of the concert speakers, and she’s still hanging out there with Ruby, Tania, Greg, and Emma!" Mike panicked.

"Go on then, get moving," Eric smirked.

"Alright... thanks, bro!" Mike shouted over his shoulder.

Without wasting another second, Mike bolted down the stairs and out the exit. Left alone, Eric turned his gaze back toward the fading crowd in the lower seating tiers. His eyes narrowed instantly as they locked onto a solitary figure he had been tracking out of the corner of his eye since the show started. Amidst the flowing stream of departing audience members, a man in his mid-thirties wearing a hoodie and a face mask stood completely motionless, holding up a smartphone while only his head swiveled slowly to survey the room.