Double or Nothing Pt. 04

"What have I done Melody, what have I done to deserve such hatred from my own flesh and blood. At mum and dads, I honestly thought we might one day be able to reconnect. But this!"

I was stunned by the ferocity and disdain conveyed by Mackenzie's messages. For a few minutes, neither Melody nor I said or did anything. Then she looked at me.

"Terry, baby, you have done nothing wrong. This girl has been twisted and taught to think that you are nothing. We know that Dr Dickhead got out on bail, so he's likely been ranting day and night about you and how you destroyed his life as well as Carol and Mackenzie's and that has affected her response to you."

I nodded. The feel of Melody's hand on my arm was soothing. She picked up my phone and went to my desk phone. While I watched, she dialled what I thought was Mackenzie's phone number. After a moment, someone picked up the other end.

"Hello, is this Ms Mackenzie Morrison?"

I only heard Melody's side of the conversation.

"Listen, Ms Morrison. I just wanted to confirm that you sent the texts to Mr Terry Other's phone a few moments ago?"

She was listening

"I see; oh, it doesn't matter who I am, Ms Morrison, but yes, I am sitting in the room with him right now."

Again, she was listening, a frown on her face.

"Okay, Ms Morrison, I will let him know and thank you for confirming it was you. I doubt that we will talk again." And Melody hung up.

"Sorry baby, but your former daughter is a right royal cunt!" my fiancé told me. I had never heard her use that word before. It showed how pissed off she was. She settled back on my lap and, for a moment, said nothing while she gathered her thoughts. I could feel how upset she was, and I started to rub her back. She looked at me when she felt the action, and much of her anger melted.

"She confirmed that it was her that sent the messages, and that she wants that money and that she is going to get legal advice and sue you." Then, Melody told me with a frown, "she said to me to tell you that you ruined her life and that you should eat shit and die. I'm sorry, Terry. If you saw any remorse in her up in Maitland, it's been well and truly ground out of her now."

I hung my head, "I know Melody, this feels like the end of our relationship. I had hoped that one day I could reconcile with her. But I guess that now off the table."

Melody wrapped her arms around my neck, "I know our love," she cooed. "I know you're hurt really bad and that you hoped that there would be reconciliation."

She leant in and kissed me, then pulled back and looked into my eyes.

"All I can tell you is that Harmony and I are there for you. Neither of us likes what they have done to you, but at the same time, if they hadn't, you never would have come into our lives."

I smiled then kissed her, "I know Melody. I guess we will just wait and see the next step. Part of me can't help but wonder if that last conversation with Carol or being in court with Stephen pushed things with Mackenzie."

"Of course, Terry, you can bet on it. That girl sounded almost coached in her responses when I spoke to her. I'm angry with her on how she could hurt our man, but a small part of me feels sorry for her. In a few years, she will be filled with anger and regret and not know where to put it. The question is do you want to be there for her when that time comes?"

I thought for a moment, seriously considering her query.

"I don't know, Melody. I feel so devastated when I think of Mackenzie. I don't know I could be there for her if she turned up on my doorstep one day. So, I suppose it's time to close that chapter of my life at last. "

I looked up and smiled at her again.

"On the other hand, I have two beautiful women that I am madly in love with, that I soon get to marry and who both want to have children with me."

"Mmmm baby, you know just how to make a girl's ovaries react." Melody said and kissed me again.

"What's this talk of ovaries?" Sally, my second in command, mentioned walking into the room.

"Terry is talking about making sure both Harmony and myself get barefoot and pregnant."

Sally laughed. Over the past year, she had become close with me, and she was one of only two bridesmaids for our upcoming wedding. Kim was to be the other bridesmaid.

"From the way you girls walk half the time, I don't think it will take Terry long."

"Practice makes perfect," I spoke.

"Oi, you stay out of it." Melody said, "Sally and I are going to talk about your amazing lover prowess and not to you about it."

I stayed out of it. However, Melody may have rubbed her ass on my crotch a little harder than necessary as they talked.

That night, we filled Harmony, William, and Martha in on the call with Mackenzie. Then we called Kim and gave her the summary. They were all appalled and agreed to focus on the wedding, waiting to see if anything came of Mackenzie's threat.

It was only a month before the wedding when Kim received the papers of Mackenzie suing me for the money in the university account. The court date was set on the Monday following my marriage to the girls.

We were due to fly out for our honeymoon that Monday evening, so plans got changed. William arranged for us to get a chartered flight on Sunday afternoon, then again to Sydney following my appearance in Maitland court at ten Monday morning. This way, we could make our international flight to Honolulu in the late evening.

The Delotiz family trust had gifted us enough for a ten-day all expenses honeymoon. As we planned, I knew that the matter with Mackenzie would be resolved in court one way or the other, and I could move on with my beautiful brides.

Despite any issues about the three of us getting married in the church, the wedding itself was terrific. Pastor Dan had enlisted help from several of the congregation members to decorate the church with assistance from Martha. During the ceremony, William proudly escorted both his daughters down the aisle. They were wearing matching gowns with a wedding train that joined behind their dresses, indicating their willingness to be wives together. Most of Deloitz Inc staff were there with their partners, and William had flown my parents up for the weekend along with Paul, who was my best man, Kim as bridesmaid and Candice, who was now becoming aware of her surroundings and laughed at everything.

When Pastor Dan smiled and said, "You may kiss your brides!" I got to kiss both my girls, to applause from everyone. When we signed the registry, Harmony and I signed the official wedding papers, witnessed by Pastor Dan, Melody and Paul.

And then, we all signed the final signature pages of the legal agreement Kim had put together for Melody to be legally bound to me in a civil relationship. The main document we had already signed and initialled. It outlined that in all but the official terms, I was Melody's life partner, and while we would not be married, we had agreed to many things taken for granted in common law between a traditional married couple. Kim had even gotten the signature page printed on the same type of paper as the official wedding registry.

We had about a hundred people at the reception afterwards, and I danced with both my brides individually while William and my dad took alternate turns with whichever of my brides I wasn't dancing with.

I also danced with both Martha and my mum, who was growing ever frailer. She wasn't winning against cancer, but her doctors had advised her that neither was she losing.

But while each round of treatment burned part of the cancer away, it also took a toll on her. We had heard some encouraging things around a new treatment that could use a bone marrow transfusion in combination with a particular new chemo drug, but that was a few years away. But it was hope.

Most of the crowd hung around till we left near one in the morning, our hotel room was provided for by my mum and dad. And yes, we did consummate our marriage, but it had been a long day, and we drifted off quickly after a short lovemaking session.

In the morning, refreshed, we made love again, and my girls gave me a precious gift. Both of them gave me their anal virginity. For me, I had never fucked an ass before. However, with a good amount of lube, I first took Harmony's ass, then twenty minutes later Melody's. I must admit I liked feeling my cock buried in their pussies a lot more, but the taboo aspect and the fact that both of them came really, really hard was well worth it.

After checkout, we dropped back home to knowing grins and a light lunch with William, Martha, mum, dad, Kim and Paul before heading to the private air-strip for our flight to Maitland. Mum and dad, along with Kim, Paul and Candice, would be flying with us.

I hadn't thought much about the court hearing around Mackenzie's claim. However, as we took off, I opened the brief that Kim had given me.

It was to be a closed hearing, as while Mackenzie was above the age of consent, she was still legally a minor. She could sue me as an adult, but it could only be in family court, and proceedings would be closed to all but immediate family. This meant that only the dickhead, who was now officially no longer a doctor, Carol, Mackenzie, myself and our legal representation could attend.

Mackenzie was suing me for the original one-hundred and forty-two thousand recorded in the account at the time of the divorce between Carol and myself. In addition, she wanted an additional two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, claiming mental cruelty and financial hardship.

As my wives were not allowed into the proceedings, Paul and my girls would sit at the café across the road from the courthouse while mum and dad headed home. Kim and I would be in court together and see what happened.

We didn't see them until we were called into the courtroom for the hearing. They entered by another door connected to another hallway. So, on my side, it was Kim and myself. The Dickhead and Carol were dressed in what I had come to think of as their court clothes. While Mackenzie was dressed up in a smart suit but had multiple necklaces and rings, showing what I am sure they thought was high-class living. But in fact, it just looked tacky on a now seventeen-year-old girl.

It took a couple more minutes for the judge to come in, but that was enough time for me to receive the death stare from dickhead several times.

At his prompt, Mackenzie showed nothing but contempt for me drawing her thumb across her throat and mouthing the word 'asshole' to me with dickhead leering and smiling at his adopted daughter's behaviour.

I turned back to the front of the court, trying to show no emotion, Kim put her hand on my arm and told me it would be okay, get through this, and I could head to my honeymoon with my wives. That made me smile.

A moment later, the judge entered, and my smile increased while dickhead and Carol frowned. Today, our judge was the same one that granted our divorce in family court last time. Kim squeezed my hand as we stood in respect to the court.

"All right, this court is in order," the judge said, and we all sat.

He looked over the papers for a few minutes, looked at Mackenzie, and then over at me.

"So, it feels like we have all been here before. Mr Other and Mrs Morrison, I had you here in my court a few years ago, did I not?"

"Yes, Your Honour," I replied. Carol just nodded.

Looking at his papers, then at Mackenzie, "And I assume you are Ms Mackenzie Morrison, former daughter of Mr Terry Other and adopted daughter of doctor.... sorry Mr Stephen Morrison. Correct?" I stifled a laugh at the apparent gaffe by the judge.

At her lawyers urging, Mackenzie replied," Yes sir, I mean yes, Your Honour."

"And today we are here because you're suing your biological father for," again he looked at his notes. "Your university money and additional charges of mental cruelty and financial hardship. Is that correct, Ms Morrison?"

Again, prompted by the lawyer, "You are correct, sir, I mean Your Honour."

Again, silence from the judge as he read some more. "I see here that your adopted father recently attempted to kill your biological father and almost succeeded. According to the report I have here, your biological father died twice in the emergency room." Mackenzie turned towards me, a shock on her face. Neither Dickhead nor her mother had told her, if her reaction was any indication. I just kept facing the judge.

"So as a result," the judge continued. "Your adopted father has been stripped of his medical license, is awaiting trial for attempted murder, and is only here today through special consideration to you as a minor in this hearing where you have brought charges against your biological father."

The judge again looked at Mackenzie with a questioning glare. "Ms Morrison, could you please explain to me why you are suing your biological father?"

For the entire exchange, Mackenzie was staring at me. She never heard the judge.

"Ms Morrison?" her lawyer tapped her arm, she turned back to the judge. "I'm going to take it from the way you have been staring at Mr Other that you had no idea that your adopted father tried to kill your biological father or that Mr Other almost died.

"No.... um No, Your Honour, I did not." Mackenzie suddenly looked unsure.

"So, Ms Morrison," the judge asked. "Let's change it up a bit here. Based on what you know, can you please identify to me how Mr Terry Other, your biological father, has caused you personally any type of mental cruelty?"

"Um, well, see, it's like.... he..." Mackenzie was suddenly very unsure of herself. She looked to her mother, then to her adopted father, then back at me, both had scowls on their faces, but they were aimed at me. I kept looking ahead.

Her lawyer stepped in.

"Your Honour, if I may, Ms Morrison's claim of mental cruelty is based around Mr Other's unwillingness to leave her father alone." The judge looked amused at the lawyer's comments but didn't stop him.

"Mr Other came in contact with her father several times, each of them leaving the family in distress. This is the reason for this charge of mental cruelty."

"I see, Mr... Forsythe, is it?"

"Yes, Your Honour."

"And how long have you been practising law, Mr Forsythe?"

"Two years Your Honour."

"I see, two years, and how many cases have you dealt with involving inter-family matters where people are suing each other based on poorly undocumented and unsubstantiated evidence?"

"Um, this would be my first one, Your Honour."

"Yes, it does sound like it's your first one, Mr Forsythe." The judge smirked. "Mr Forsythe, Ms Morrison, let me catch you up on a couple of things. First of all, in all the documents I have before me, I do not have a single piece of evidence that shows that Mr Other has been cruel or unfair to his former daughter. In fact, the police reports and the video evidence that I have seen show quite the opposite."

The judge looked at Mackenzie.

"Ms Morrison, do you often call your biological father who raised you for most of your life an, and I quote, 'asshole'?"

"Your Honour, I object," Mackenzie's lawyer said, "Ms Morrison cannot be asked to sustain a crude comment like that."

"Overruled Mr Forsythe, I have it here in the form of confirmed text messages sent recently to Mr Other, and in video evidence submitted in the case currently before the courts where Mr Morrison tried to kill Mr Other." The judge said calmly. "I ask again, Ms Morrison, do you call your biological father an 'asshole'?"

She stumbled and blushed but tried to respond. "Um, I am embarrassed to say yes, Your Honour, but I didn't know Stephen tried to kill him if I had known..."

The judge held up his hand.

"I was not asking you to explain, Ms Morrison. I was asking a simple question. Now another question Ms Morrison, has your biological father ever abused you before you and your mother left him? Did he ever withhold love and affection?"

Mackenzie looked at me. I just sat and looked at the judge, not daring to look at her.

"No, Your Honour, he was never unkind." She had her head down.

"Thank you, Ms Morrison, one more question." The Judge said. "Following the day where you and your mother left your biological father for your adopted father, had Mr Other ever abused or mistreated you?"

Mackenzie looked at me again, then at Carol, then the dickhead. The dickhead gave a slight nod, trying not to be seen.

Her voice was hushed. "Yes, your honour, many times."

The judge sat back. I was about to yell an objection before Kim grabbed my hand and squeezed. I got the message and said nothing.

"Could you please expand on the abuse that you say happened many times, and Ms Morrison, you may be a minor, but even a minor in court can be in a lot of trouble for lying?" Asked the judge.

Mackenzie looked at dickhead again, getting a nod, then looked at me. For the first time since the judge entered, I looked at Mackenzie. She was scared and lost. But now, I could not help her.

Kim spoke up for the first time.

"Objection, Your Honour, I believe that Ms Morrison has been coached on her responses."

"Sustained counsellor, and I agree. Security, would you please escort Mr Morrison out of this room for the remainder of this hearing. Mr Morrison, if you think my eyesight is so dull that I was not catching your visual cues and hand signals to Ms Morrison when you thought no one was looking, you're sadly mistaken. I am very close to finding you in contempt."

"You can't do this," the dickhead yelled, "that asshole needs to pay for ruining my life. I'm not telling my daughter what to say, just making sure she knows how to say it, so everyone knows the truth!"

"SILENCE!!!" The room went quiet. "Mr Morrison, you are now held in contempt of this court and will be held in the court watch house until determined if you have violated your parole from your own legal case. Security remove this man!"

For the next few minutes, everyone watched as security removed the dickhead from the room, screaming obscenities and vowing revenge against me. Those dreams of Carol's must really have done a number on the poor fuckwit's psyche.

The judge called everyone back to order.

"Now, Ms Morrison, I will ask you again, has Mr Other ever treated you poorly, abused you in any way at any time?" he asked, "I would like you to look at me and no one else as you tell me, and if you need to you may explain."

I saw Mackenzie shudder a little, Carol looked at me, and everyone waited. Then, at last, Mackenzie spoke, but it came out as a sob.

"No, sir, he has never treated me poorly. I know he was upset and angry when we left him. I know we hurt him when we left, yet he tried to teach me even as he was disappointed in me. He has never treated me cruelly. My father... I mean, Stephen has been so mad at dad since we came to live with him. Mum and Stephen keep telling me how much better off I am now and how dad would have been cruel to me if I kept in contact with him after the divorce."

Tears were streaming down her face now. Kim held my hand tight, but I was trying hard not to feel affected. Sure, I could feel a tinge of pity for her. And there might be an ember of love buried in there for her. But she had done everything to snuff any affection for her. And because she was my daughter, it felt worse than anything her mother had done to me. Besides, if she took lessons from her mother, this could all be an act.

Mackenzie continued. "When Stephen and dad had the fight at the hospital and dad punched Stephen, I got told that dad had lied, that he had gone after Stephen and got Stephen fired. I was told again and again that all our financial problems were because of dad. I didn't know." She looked at me despite the judge's request to just look at him. "I didn't know that Stephen tried to kill him."