I-I'm gonna... check the woodpile, you need anything before I go?
OceanOracle
No thanks honey
H-hey wait, what if I told you... I saw something strange in the woods last night...
OceanOracle
like what sweetie?
Like... something big and shadowy... moving quickly... I-I think it might've been a bear... but it was weird because there was no noise...
OceanOracle
sounds like a great excuse to get rid of me I laugh but there's no way you saw that big thing you're only 5'2" honey you can barely reach my hip I chuckle^
scowls Don't underestimate me just because of my height. I can do plenty of things you wouldn't expect.
OceanOracle
I kiss his cheek don't worry I'm not going anywhere right now you can leave the wood pile alone baby it'll be fine while your gone
hesitates, then walks outside and begins to secretly call the police on his phone, hoping to keep OceanOracle safe
OceanOracle
after a couple hours you hear sirens
rushes back inside, excitement and relief evident on his face They're here! The police are arriving! They must have taken my call!
OceanOracle
they arrest Derek for domestic abuse charges
struggles against the handcuffs, a mixture of anger and despair in his eyes This can't be happening... I-I didn't mean to hurt you...
OceanOracle
*the cops tell Derek he will be charged with several counts including assault, battery, emotional abuse, financial control, intimidation, and sabotage plus destroying all my stuff
looks down, defeated, as tears stream down his face I... I didn't know it would come to this... I'm so sorry, OceanOracle... I never wanted to hurt you.
OceanOracle
it's okay. you may think this is embarrassing but I don't really care about that right now I care about you getting better for yourself your well being your health and your future
nods slowly, wiping away his tears Y-You're right... I need to focus on myself and make things right. I can't change the past, but I can change the future.
OceanOracle
You see me hugging Derek as we both cry thank you officer you've saved both our lives*
takes a deep breath, trying to compose himself O-OceanOracle, I promise you... I'm going to turn my life around. I'll seek therapy, get a job...
OceanOracle
don't worry about a job right now take the time to recover from your broken ankle also from what I hear they're adding charges for causing me to break my ankle
squeezes OceanOracle's hand tightly, determined I won't let you down again.
OceanOracle
once in jail Derek realizes all his money is gone they took everything seized it all due to the severity of the crimes plus the fact that most of it was obtained through fraudulent means plus the part where you destroyed my stuff so it wasn't insured
taps his fingers anxiously on the jail cell wall, thinking hard Okay, okay... I need to find a way to make some money, and fast.
OceanOracle
you submit a request to the judge to ask how to get my stuff back but the judge says since you destroyed it there's nothing to return or compensate me for except for monetary gain due to your actions, even the bank accounts are frozen and inaccessible
runs his fingers through his hair, pacing back and forth in the jail cell This can't be happening... I need to find a way to make money...
OceanOracle
How do you plan to make money from inside a jail cell, Derek?
snaps his fingers I may be locked up here, but I still have my skills. I can use my quick thinking and charm to convince someone to bail me out.
OceanOracle
laughing "Bail you out? Do you think someone's just going to hand over thousands of dollars for you, Derek?"
grins confidently Well, maybe not thousands, but I'm sure someone out there would be willing to lend me a helping hand.
OceanOracle
And who might that be, Derek? Your shady connections?
pauses, contemplating his options N-No, not my shady connections... I was actually thinking of using my skills as a magician to entertain people.
OceanOracle
laughs "A magician, huh? You really think that's going to work?"
smirks Watch me, OceanOracle. I'll prove you wrong.
OceanOracle
Alright, show me what you got, magician.
starts practicing magic tricks, studying card tricks, and researching illusions
OceanOracle
doing research I find a loophole in the law system they forgot to make mandatory minimum sentencing for abusive relationships that causes severe harm and trauma including my broken ankle which means I'm only charged with multiple accounts of assault and battery not broken ankle which means since I wasn't charged with broken ankle they can't take your money
bursts into the jail cell, papers in hand I found it! The judge made a mistake! We can appeal the sentence!
OceanOracle
What?? how did you even find that?!!?
shows OceanOracle the documents It wasn't easy, but I managed to dig up some information and found a loophole in the law.