Page 115 of Remember Me

Sheldon’s two guards, who’d attempted to shoot me, were also tried. Pleading guilty, they were each given twenty-five years.

The shitstorm didn’t stop with Sheldon. Within days of my exposé, women came out of the woodwork and spoke out about other sexually abusive Hollywood moguls—top directors, producers, executives, and writers. The stories were ugly. Among those implicated was my former boss Jim Hartley, who thanks to his strong defense team, got off being tried as an accessory to murder. But he got his due anyway. Several of my colleagues came forward and accused him of unwanted sexual advances, a few sexually molested against their will. Settlements were made and Jim lost his job. Plus, his wife and two kids. Sentenced to ten years in prison with no parole, the cowardly womanizer wept on the air. I almost felt sorry for him.

Nicole and I, however, weren’t done with Greenberg after he was sentenced. Nor were the other #RememberMeToos. Collectively, we filed a class action civil lawsuit for physical and emotional damages. Another victory! We won and were awarded in excess of ten million dollars plus the proceeds of his art collection once it was auctioned off. None of us needed or wanted the money, so we pooled it and started a #RememberMeToo Legal Defense Fund to aid other victims of sexual abuse. My words—Speak Out!—became our credo.

As we near the end of the bridge, my joyful daughter shouts out again, cutting into my reminiscing and bringing me back to the present. Our beautiful here and now.

“Maman, je veux une glace!”

Standing by a vendor, she wants some ice cream.

“You want some too?” asks my husband.

I can’t pass up his offer. He knows how much I love ice cream—especially the French kind. He jogs ahead of me to catch up with Maddie and then returns with two cones, anoisettefor meand achocolatfor him. After he hands me mine, I get to work, licking the creamy cold treat with my tongue. I roll it around and then lick up and down. It’s so, so good!

“Jeez. You’re making me hard,” laughs Finn.

Laughing, I take another long lick. “Maybe I can solve yourbigproblem when we get back to our hotel suite.” Then, without warning, a sharp pang shoots through my abdomen. Grimacing, I put my free hand to my tummy.

Alarm washes over Finn’s handsome face. “Skye, what’s wrong?”

I twitch a pained smile. “The baby... it just kicked! Feel!” I place Finn’s hand on my swollen belly. The baby, a miracle child like Maddie, kicks again.

Finn’s face lights up. “Holy moly! I felt it!” He laughs. “It kicks like a girl!”

I laugh back. I know for sure it’s a boy. I accidentally found out when I went for my last ultrasound before leaving for Paris, but didn’t tell Finn. He’s due in three months. And in three months someone I know is going to be sporting another tattoo on their ass. *Wink* It’s not me!

My eyes return to my darling Maddie, skipping ahead of us and licking her ice cream cone. She’s still too young to understand my complicated story. One day, when she’s older, I will tell it to her. I want her to know what happened to me and how a brave group of magnificent women bound together to stand up against adversity. To stand up for themselves. And I will also tell Emmet, her future brother, and raise them both to respect their co-workers and peers—women and men alike of all races and genders—and never turn a blind eye to corruption and injustice. To tyrants and victims, secrets and lies.

Time’s up. We no longer have to endure silence. But the fight for our rights is not over. There will always be the next monster,who will try to abuse us. Ready to strip away our dignity and confiscate our souls.

Wherever there’s a story, I’ll be there.Dig deep, then dig deeper.I will never stop uncovering the truth. It’s the most powerful tool we have.

EPILOGUE

Skye

Six months later

Los Angeles

“Welcome toSkye’s the Limit. On tonight’s show, five brave, outspoken individuals will join me. Three of them are women; two are men. One is under the age of eighteen. Each claims to have been sexually assaulted by the President of the United States.”

“Stay tuned for their stories . . . ”

***