Chapter 6 - The Midnight Raid
Margaret sat in her lavishly decorated living room, sipping a glass of expensive Merlot.
She was wearing a pristine silk robe, completely unbothered by the chaos she had caused.
Her smartphone was pressed against her ear.
She was speaking in a low, conspiratorial whisper to her high-priced family attorney.
"Yes, Charles, the child is currently in danger," she lied smoothly into the phone.
"My son has completely lost his mind."
"And that woman he married is an absolute junkie."
"I expect you to have emergency custody papers drafted by tomorrow morning."
She took another delicate sip of her wine, smiling at her own reflection in the darkened window.
She truly believed she was untouchable.
She believed her wealth and social standing made her a god among peasants.
Suddenly, heavy, urgent pounding echoed from her solid mahogany front door.
"Police department!" a stern voice boomed from the front porch.
"Open the door immediately!"
Margaret rolled her eyes, assuming the officers were there to report my arrest.
She set her wine glass down on the glass coffee table.
She casually strolled toward the foyer, adjusting her silk robe to look perfectly presentable.
She unlocked the deadbolt and pulled the heavy door open.
She painted a fake, deeply concerned expression on her face.
"Oh, thank goodness you are here," Margaret gasped dramatically.
"Did you secure my grandson? Is my son in custody?"
The two police officers standing on her porch did not look sympathetic.
They looked angry.
"Margaret Vance?" the lead officer asked, shining a bright flashlight onto her face.
Margaret squinted, holding a hand up to shield her eyes.
"Yes, that is me," she answered, her fake smile faltering slightly.
"Put your hands behind your back," the officer commanded.
He unclipped the metal handcuffs from his utility belt.
Margaret froze, her brain failing to process the command.
"Excuse me?" she scoffed, crossing her arms defensively.
"Do you have any idea who I am?"
"You are under arrest for the aggravated assault and poisoning of Elena Vance," the officer stated clearly.
"You are also being charged with filing a false report to Child Protective Services."
Margaret's jaw dropped open in pure, unadulterated shock.
"That is absurd!" she shrieked, backing away into the foyer.
"She is a drug addict! She did this to herself!"
The second officer stepped forward, grabbing Margaret's arm firmly.
"We have the video footage, ma'am," the officer said coldly.
"We watched you crush the pills into her tea."
All the color instantly drained from Margaret's face.
Her knees buckled as the reality of the situation crashed down upon her.
The officers spun her around, roughly pulling her arms behind her back.
The cold metal cuffs clicked securely tightly around her wrists.
"Charles!" Margaret screamed toward her phone, which was still resting on the coffee table.
"Charles, help me! They are arresting me!"
Her neighbors, the wealthy elite of the subdivision, were already peering through their blinds.
They watched in absolute astonishment as the neighborhood matriarch was dragged out of her house.
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She was shoved unceremoniously into the back of a flashing police cruiser.
Her perfect, calculated world had just shattered into a million pieces.
