Chapter 14 - MY SLAP GETS ITS OWN FILE
My mother’s criminal case had nothing to do with my slap.
My lawyer repeated that until I stopped trying to put them in the same sentence.
Vivienne had moved toward Matteo.
I had already handed him to Elena.
Then I struck her.
Video clear.
Could I argue defense of another?
Weak after the transfer was complete.
Prosecutor offered misdemeanor diversion.
No prior personal assault conviction.
No serious injury.
Vivienne had a bruised cheek and shoulder from the fall.
I accepted.
Anger-management.
Restitution for her medical copay.
No direct contact outside legal channels.
No conviction if completed.
My security men found that humiliating.
One said:
“You protected your son.”
I answered:
“I protected him before the slap.”
He stopped talking.
Good.
Then the class.
Instructor asked:
“What did you want the slap to say?”
“That she never touches my children again.”
“Could you say that with words and legal orders?”
“Yes.”
“Then what did the slap say?”
“That I can hurt her.”
“Who saw it?”
“My son.”
There.
Dominic saw his father respond to family threat with violence.
I had spent years building an intimidating reputation.
Now I had to teach my son intimidation was not the same thing as safety.
Hard lesson for a man everyone compared to a Mafia boss.
I completed every session.
Not secretly.
Not through influence.
May you like
My name on the same attendance sheet as everyone else.
That mattered to me.
