#Chapter 196: No Safe Places

The ad was vague, but threw enough shade at me for some of it to certainly stick. What a low blow, coming after me, using me and my past against Miles. As the ad ends and the regular news coverage returns, Miles mutes the television, throws the remote onto the couch, and storms toward his desk. “I’m calling our attorneys.” “Miles.” “They can’t get away with spreading lies about you, Esther. This is slander, through and through.” “Miles,” I say again, more forcefully. What was said in the ad wasn’t anything specific. A slander case would never go through. Especially if not everything that was said was false. Miles picks up the phone. Stepping forward, I place my hand on his arm, stopping him. “Don’t,” I say. He listens, slowly lowering the landline phone back down to the receiver. Then he turns to look at me in clear confusion. “I don’t understand. You don’t want to fight this?” “It’s not that I don’t,” I tell him. It certainly doesn’t feel great to have so many terrib