[Maria sits on the arm of the couch next to where he was, putting her arm up around him as she looked down at what he had. as she listened, the answer seemed obvious. there was so much Adam was owed for what he went through. nobody had listened to her when she said something was wrong and while Maria's first thought had not been Jigsaw, it seemed obvious now. the police had been wrong and they'd royally fucked up. they must have known they did.

Maria wasn't a legal genius but she thought she knew what an easy win was.

but the problem was this wasn't going to be an easy win now was it? Adam would have to relive how much trauma? and Maria knew she'd be questioned as well. she was part of this as the woman he was marrying, not to mention as the person to report his disappearance. it had been Maria to first notice that Adam was missing and she knew it was easy to point fingers at her. both of their names would be slung through the mud. it was already happening and the court case would make it worse.

but the problem was the lost wages. Adam was being given more opportunity as a photographer due to the publicity but if he had to focus on the case then he couldn't do much work. and right now, Maria was finding it hard to work at all. since Maria had come out as Adam's wife to be, news outlets and weirdos had been camping out at the strip club. it made it hard to work at all. the owner had offered to let her work as a bartender instead of a dancer but it just wasn't the work she knew. when it came to the basics, they'd be relying on Maria and so she knew she'd have to take the bartending job. it was the best she could do because Maria knew how this world worked. Adam's wife being a stripper wouldn't do him any favors.]

Do it. Drain them dry, babe. We know the cops fucked up and they know they did, too. We can make it until you get the settlement. I'll take the bar job to get us by. Tom said the tips can get good so I'll be extra charming.