Chapter 4 - Packing Up the Trash
I carried Dustin safely into my master bedroom.
I locked the heavy wooden door securely behind us.
The loud click of the lock felt incredibly satisfying to my ears.
I gently set Dustin down on the massive king-sized bed.
I pulled the thick, fluffy white duvet around his small, trembling shoulders.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" I asked him softly.
He sniffled loudly and nodded his head slowly.
"Why doesn't Grandma Beatrice like me?" he whispered brokenly.
The innocent question shattered my heart all over again.
"She is not your grandma, baby," I told him fiercely.
"She is just a very mean, unhappy old lady."
"And you never have to see her ugly face ever again."
"I promise you that with all my heart."
I kissed his warm forehead and turned on the television to his favorite cartoon show.
I desperately needed him distracted while I handled the impending emotional storm.
Downstairs, it sounded exactly like a bomb had gone off.
Heavy doors were slamming violently against their frames.
Ellie was shrieking hysterically about her expensive designer shoes.
Beatrice was sobbing loudly and uncontrollably.
Mark was shouting terrible curses at the absolute top of his lungs.
I sat down at my vanity desk and quickly opened my laptop.
It was time to closely review the rest of that downloaded video file.
I pushed my noise-canceling earbuds into my ears.
I clicked on the video Ellie had so graciously provided for my legal defense.
The long video actually started ten full minutes before the dinner incident.
Ellie was casually arranging the expensive food on the table.
Beatrice was happily pouring herself a massive glass of my expensive imported wine.
"I can't believe how much money she spends on groceries," Ellie was complaining on the video.
"It's completely ridiculous."
"Mark needs to put her on a much stricter weekly allowance."
Beatrice took a huge, greedy gulp of the red wine.
"He's actively working on it," the older woman replied with a wicked, evil grin.
"He told me last night he’s talking to a shady lawyer about breaking that stupid prenup."
My blood ran absolutely cold in my veins.
I paused the video with a shaking finger.
I took a deep, shuddering breath to steady my racing heart.
Mark had been secretly planning to blindside me for months.
He was actively trying to figure out a way to steal my personal assets.
I pressed the play button again.
"Once he gets full control of her bank accounts, we won't have to pretend anymore," Beatrice continued ruthlessly.
"I am so incredibly sick of looking at that weird little brat of hers."
"He doesn't have a single drop of our blood in his veins."
"Mark is going to send him away to some cheap, strict boarding school out of state."
"Then we can finally move in here permanently and enjoy our lives."
Ellie giggled loudly on the hidden footage.
"I totally call dibs on the master bedroom!" she cheered happily.
I slammed the silver laptop shut.
My vision actually blurred with sheer, unadulterated, blinding rage.
They didn't just greedily want my money.
They actively wanted to throw my innocent child away like absolute garbage.
They wanted to completely erase him from my life so they could live like royalty on my dime.
I checked the digital time on my cell phone.
They had exactly twenty minutes left to get out.
I picked up my phone and dialed the local police precinct directly.
I calmly requested an officer to be dispatched immediately for a domestic disturbance and a civil standby.
I wasn't taking any more chances with these absolute monsters.
When I finally unlocked my bedroom door and stepped into the hallway, the house was eerily quiet.
May you like
I walked slowly down the grand wooden staircase.
Dozens of suitcases and trash bags were piled high by the open front door.
