Coercion

"Laura, I'm glad you are looking better, but how are you? Can you tell us what happened to upset you?" he asked as he indicated the most comfortable looking chair.

"It's ok dear," Edith said, "If this is concerning who we think it is, Mr. Fredericks would like to hear it."

"Brice, please call me Brice," the older man said softly. "Edith is right. I'm not going to suggest what happened, but I fear you'll hate me if I don't show surprise," he stopped to rub his face, "Look. If you want to go home and tell us nothing, that's fine but if anything happened that...I was going to say, puts our company in a bad light, but that just a shitty way of saying, if someone violated you we need to know so that person is held accountable...no matter who he is," he finished.

Laura looked at Edith who nodded reassuringly. "I guess I should say that this is going to be the same old story, she said, he said, but even though I question whether anything will come of it..." she stopped as she teared up again.

Edith handed her the box of tissues, "You don't know Mr. Fredericks. I've never known a better man."

"You need to get out of the office more, Edith, but thanks. I try to do my best," he sighed.

"Ok, it can't get worse," she said softly. She proceeded to tell the story starting at the picnic and finished up to her telling them about Brandon sending her husband to Germany for two weeks during her fertile period. She looked at the horror on their faces and stopped. "I'm sorry. I am not trying to make your son look evil, but perhaps I can't keep my feelings out of it. I'm not sure you believe me, but that's my story."

"Well, shit!" Brice spat. "We never should have let him off back in college." He looked at the woman, the girl, "I'm going to tell you a story that might explain to you why he's...Back in college..."

Laura looked back and forth, "And I look like her? Can I ask her name? Sorry, but my older sister went to Stanford in the early 2,000s and dropped out. We were baffled and never found out why. Um, her name is Julia Stratton." She stopped hearing both of them gasp, "Oh shit! After she dropped out she moved to Montana to work on a ranch. She was...is brilliant but we never knew what happened to her to make her do that. Did people call Brandon Fred back then? That was who she said was her boyfriend...you know...before she dropped out."

"Christ. I am so sorry but it seems my son has it in for your family. Look, here's what I think we should do." Brice proceeded to lay out a plan.

When he finished, he looked at the girl, "Can you do that?"

The young blonde nodded. "I can do that. I'll be home," she sighed.

***********************************************

"What are you doing here?" she spat out seeing Brandon at the front door. "Doug's not here. He told me he had to meet some people at work," she said as she tried to close the door.

Brandon pushed it open and slammed it, "You think I don't know that? Your sweet hubby isn't due back until after 11. I know because I was invited but told dad I had previous plans," he said as he tried to pull the girl towards him.

"Stop, stop it!" Laura screamed as she tried to pull away.

Brandon caught her wrist and pulled her into the living room, tore off her dress, then ripped off her bra. He threw the girl onto the couch but froze hearing a man's voice.

"Don't move, motherfucker. One little twitch from you and my finger will twitch on the trigger." The FBI agent grabbed the man and pushed him face down on the floor, cuffing him. "You have the right..."

Edith came running in with a blanket, throwing it over the girl. "Are you Ok? We wanted to stop him when he first attacked you, but he was so quick," she cried. She pulled the girl into a hug glaring at the agents, "Get him out of here so Laura can get dressed. I know you rushed in as fast as you could, but she needs..." she hugged the girl, "Damn! After all that you've been through..."

***********************************************

Doug came home anxious to give Laura the great news but stopped seeing the black SUVs out front. He rushed inside fearing the worst. "Laura! Where are...what happened?" he asked rushing over. He stopped as he saw Mr. Fredericks and Edith sitting with Laura. "What's going on?" he asked.

Brice stood and put up a hand, "It's good. It's all ok. I'm afraid that my son might have had a breakdown. He came over and attacked your wife. We're here because Edith informed me that Brandon was acting strange yesterday afternoon and overheard something about Laura. Then when he told me he couldn't make the meeting...I told her to call her brother at the FBI, so he came over to talk to your wife when Brandon came over. She's fine and my son is in jail," he said softly.

"What?" Doug spat out, "Brandon attacked Laura? Why?"

Laura said sadly, "Julia. Remember she dropped out of college and moved to Montana? It was because of Brandon. He was obsessed with her and attacked her. We look...like sisters and he never got over Jules," she sighed, "I was wondering why he always looked at me strangely, you know, at the picnic and when you had me take him lunch?"

"Did he attack you then? Are you Ok?" Doug asked as he sat down and took her hand.

"I'm fine. Really. My dress," she pointed over to the floor, "however, is beyond repair."

Doug looked at the torn garment and bra. "Christ! He just tore those off you? Thank God you thought to call the police," he looked gratefully at the Brice and Edith.

Edith looked over at her boss, "Well? Are you going to tell them?"

The older man nodded, "I've contacted my lawyer to set up a scholarship for your sister if she wants to go back to school. Any school, any level of degree. I figure it's the least I can do. Also, I have to apologize to you, Doug. You were one of the candidates for VP of Operations but there were those on the board that wanted Brandon groomed for...hell, I don't know, anyhow I agreed. It should have been yours."

Brice stood, "We should go. I'd guess both of you need some time alone. Take the next few days off and we'll talk when you come into the office Monday. I'm going to the board to propose you take over as VP of Operations," he said before leaving the house.

Doug pulled his wife into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. If I had just taken up his lunch none of this would have happened." He felt like crying. "I do have good news. Tom called me and told me that you are welcome to go to Germany with me in two weeks, though I wonder if I get VP position..."

Laura stroked her husband's face. "I love you so much. Let me clean up, maybe shower and I'll let you take me to dinner. You never know, perhaps if you ply me with wine, you'll get lucky tonight." She wanted to ask if VP of Operations came with the same office, but perhaps they could make new memories in there.