North America / New York (Bedford Estate): February 20th, 1993.
(Mariah Carey's POV)
"What…the texas lavish killer case was dismissed." Asked mariah with a look of utter confusion on her face.
The living room was silent. The sound of a clock ticking echoing faintly in the background as mariah sat across from two well dressed men in suits.
"Ahem…yes ms carey. As of this morning all charges tied to the texas lavish killer case have been officially dismissed due to lack of sufficient evidence." Said the first lawyer calmly as he adjusted his glasses and glanced down at the documents in his hand.
Mariah blinked a couple of times and said with a slow shake of her head "Lack of evidence…that makes no sense. They had witnesses, reports, even that whole media circus calling her a murderer."
The second lawyer sighed and leaned back slightly into his seat and said "That is correct but all of that has suddenly…disappeared or has been deemed unreliable."
The living room was silent.
Mariah stared at both of them for a moment and said with slightly narrowed eyes "Disappeared."
"Yes." Said the first lawyer calmly.
Mariah let out a small breath and leaned back into the couch while placing her hand on her forehead and muttering "That woman is insane…"
The room was silent for a moment.
Mariah dropped her hand from her forehead and said with a more serious look on her face "So what does this mean exactly."
"It means ms knowles is legally clean in regards to that case."Said the second lawyer calmly.
Mariah scoffed lightly and said with a small shake of her head "Of course she is…"
The room was silent again.
Mariah shifted slightly in her seat and said while crossing her legs "Alright. Enough about that, what about my divorce."
Both lawyers looked at each other briefly.
"It is…complicated." Said the first lawyer carefully.
Mariah's eyebrows creased Immediately and said "Complicated how."
The second lawyer adjusted his tie and said with a serious look on his face "Your husband has been making moves behind the scenes. Financially and legally."
Mariah stared at him and said slowly "What kind of moves."
"He is attempting to restrict your access to certain assets and is also trying to challenge the terms of separation." Said the first lawyer calmly.
Mariah let out a quiet laugh and said while shaking her head "That obsessive controlling bastard…"
The room was silent.
Mariah leaned forward slightly and asked with a serious tone "Can he win."
The first lawyer shook his head slowly and said "Not likely, but he can delay the process and make it…difficult."
Mariah stared at the floor for a moment and said quietly "Of course he can…"
The second lawyer leaned forward slightly and said "However, we can push back. We just need your approval to proceed more aggressively."
Mariah looked up at both of them and asked calmly "What does aggressively mean."
"It means exposing certain financial activities and applying pressure through legal channels." Said the first lawyer with a serious look on his face.
Mariah was silent for a moment and then let out a small breath and said with a tired look on her face "Do it. I just want to be done with him."
Both lawyers nodded.
"It will be handled." Said the second lawyer.
The living room was silent again. The air heavy.
Mariah leaned back into the couch and stared ahead for a moment before muttering softly "Everything is just…falling apart."
"What would you do mia" Thought mariah as her left hand tiredly covering her eyes as tears visibly streamed down her cheeks.
(Crystalline's POV)
"I managed to get the case dismissed. It took a minute but I doubled it down with unreliable evidence." Said berry from the phone with a sigh.
My eyebrows creased and asked calmly as I Picked at my sliver manicured "Was there no counterclaim and what about jamie as a witness."
Berry adjusted his throat and said from the phone "No. There was no counterclaim because the witnesses statements weren't consistent and as for jamie, let's just say he had his own problems to deal with after his statement started looking more like personal bitterness than factual testimony."
I was silent for a moment and said with a sigh while staring out at the ocean view from the office balcony doors "Good. One less thing for me to worry about."
Berry sighed from the phone and said with a more serious tone "Actually there is another thing."
I rolled my eyes and muttered underneath my breath "Of course there is.
Why wouldn't there be.
"Speak." I said calmly while rubbing my smooth chin.
"I got you a invitation to the grammys and your nominated." Said berry quickly from the phone.
The room was silent.
My left eyebrow twitched slightly and asked calmly "Nominated for what."
Berry chuckled dryly from the phone and said "Best female r&b vocal performance, album of the year, song of the year and record of the year."
I was silent for a moment and said with a look of disbelief on my face "They finally remembered I exist."
"Don't start." Said berry tiredly from the phone.
I chuckled lightly and said while crossing my legs in the office chair "I'm serious. They spent years acting blind and now all of a sudden they can see."
Berry sighed and said from the phone "Well now they see and I suggest you make a appearance. It'll help your image more than you think."
I leaned my head against the back of the chair and asked calmly "And why do I feel like this isn't out of kindness."
"Because it isn't. It's business, crystal. If you show up after all these years and win, the whole world will talk. If you show up and lose, the whole world will still talk. Either way your name trends higher and you gain more public sympathy and respect." Said berry calmly from the phone.
I rubbed my bottom lip with my thumb for a moment and said with a sigh "Fine. I'll attend."
"Good. The grammys is on february 24th so you still have time before then. Don't do nothing stupid before the ceremony and make sure your image stays clean until then." Said berry calmly from the phone.
A small smile formed on my face and I said while glancing at the readers on the corner of my eye "As they should."
Berry adjusted his throat and said "Also there are rumors about your super bowl performance with michael being one of the greatest live vocal moments in recent years. The academy is feeling pressure, that's why they moved so fast."
I nodded slightly and said calmly "Good. Since I still have time before february 24th, I need you to do something for me."
The phone was silent for a moment.
"What is it." Asked berry cautiously from the phone.
I looked down at my manicured nails for a moment and said with cold eyes "I need you to use your celebrity resources and hit a man named alfred samwell. I want his business and public appearance to turn into shit."
The room was silent.
Berry adjusted his throat and asked from the phone "Who is that."
"A old white billionaire bastard that needs his name dragged through the mud before I drag him through hell myself. I want whispers. Rumors. Talk shows. Magazines. Social circles. I want his name attached to scandal, greed, racism, infidelity, bad business practices. I don't care what you use so long as it's clean enough not to reach me and dirty enough to make him sweat." I said calmly while staring out at the curtained balcony doors.
Berry was silent for a moment and then said with a sigh "So basically you want me to make the industry look at him sideways."
"Yes." I said calmly. My eyes squinting at the ocean.
Berry let out a tired chuckle and said "That I can do. I know enough reporters, executives and messy people in high places to make his public image start rotting from the inside out."
A small smile formed on my face and I said "Good. I want his business partners uncomfortable, his name in gossip circles and his face looking tired in public. Make him feel watched."
Berry sighed loudly from the phone and said "Crystal, sometimes I wonder if you were born evil."
I chuckled lightly and said "No. Life just keeps giving me ugly people to deal with."
Berry chuckled despite himself and said "Fine. I'll start making calls tonight but when this starts blowing up don't you dare act surprised."
"I make no promises. I made you a billionaire so why would I sit still and twiddle my thumbs and act surprised." I asked calmly.
Berry sighed very loudly from the phone and said "That's exactly what I didn't want to hear."
I laughed lightly and said "Goodbye berry."
"Yeah, yeah goodbye crystal." Said berry as the call ended.
I slowly lowered the phone from my ear and stared at the dark screen for a moment before saying with a soft mutter "So the grammys finally want a taste of me and alfred's old ass is about to get a taste of humiliation."
*Knock* *Knock*
I looked towards the office door and said loudly "Come in."
The door opened slowly and selena stepped inside with a serious look on her face and asked "Who was that on the phone."
I looked at her and said calmly "Berry. He got the texas lavish killer case dismissed and I got nominated for the grammys."
Selena's eyes widened and said loudly "THE GRAMMYS."
The office was silent for a moment.
I sighed slightly and said with a sigh "Yes. The grammys on february 24th."
Selena blinked a couple of times and said while putting her hand on her chest "Oh. I thought it was today from the way you said it."
I rolled my eyes and said "No. It's not today."
Adesina rolled into the office on the mobility scooter and said with a serious look on her face "Who's not today."
Selena looked back at big mama and said "Alina got nominated for the grammys."
The office was silent.
Adesina's eyebrows raised slightly and said with a nod "As she should."
I looked at both of them and said while rubbing my smooth chin "I also had berry start working on alfred samwell's public image. I want him uneasy before I even set foot near that ball."
Selena had a surprised look on her face and asked "How uneasy."
I leaned back in the chair and said calmly with cold eyes "The kind of uneasy that makes a man stop sleeping good at night."
The office was silent. The atmosphere heavy.
Adesina smirked slightly and said with an approving nod "Good. Hit him so hard that it makes his dick start shrinking and resembling a Innie belly button."
The room was absolutely silent.
A small smile formed on my face as I looked out at the ocean again and thought with cold eyes "The texas lavish killer case is gone, the grammys want me on february 24th, the ball is approaching and alfred's public image is about to start rotting. Good. Let the whole world look my way"
I am crystalline alina knowles. I am the narrator of my own story.
…
THE END…