add,” my lawyer continued, raising his voice, “The female student in the photo has quite incriminating evidence on her Facebook page suggesting acts of nepotism between her and Dr. Hartley has also occurred.” “We have to run this by legal immediately,” one of the board members declared. “I’m requesting assistance right now.” “Dr. Hartley, you will be suspended with pay, effective immediately, until this matter is resolved. I hope you have a strong defense,” Dr. Smith uttered gravely and rose to his feet.
Six Months Later
Ruby
It’s 5:45am and the sun is just rising over the Pacific Ocean. The green mountains towering out of the sea provide a spectacular backdrop for our paradise wedding. Not a weirder band of misfits has probably ever populated this pristine island: Jake, myself, Julie, Ricky, Chance, Zach, Vinny and my mother, along with a preacher and a photographer are gathered on the beach. I’m wearing a dress of white silk. The dipped neckline borders the string of white pearls around my neck, and my matching earrings complete my elegant style. Jake is handsomely attired in a tuxedo; he is clean-shaven with a proper haircut. I catch myself thinking what a long way we’ve come in life. We feel a million miles away from the trailer trash from which we sprouted, but couldn’t be more satisfied with where we are heading. Ms. Murphy was right: life is an adventure. Ride it, learn from it, but don’t try to control it, because you will almost certainly fail. I wish she was here with us, but sadly she passed away only three weeks ago. The waves gently lap at the shore as the wedding ceremony begins. My mother already has a tear in her eye. I wonder how she’ll react when she finds out I’m pregnant.