At my cousin’s wedding reception, we were seated having our meal when my family arrived late and started greeting everyone loudly. I was eight months pregnant and couldn’t stand up easily to greet them from my chair. My mother demanded, “Get up from that chair right now. Your sister needs to sit.” I refused. “She’s only 2 months pregnant. I’m 8 months.” I stayed seated. My father walked over and k/i/c/k/ed my chair hard from behind, making me f a. l l backwards. I landed on my pregnant belly and my water b r/ oke all over the floor. My mom… / Chapter 23 / 40

Chapter 23 - The Sister's Warning

While I waited for Daniel, my phone buzzed again. It was Olivia.

"Did you get the papers?"

Olivia asked frantically, her breath catching in her throat.

"I got them,"

I replied calmly.

"How did you know?"

"Because Mom called me last night from an unknown number,"

Olivia explained, her voice shaking with residual anger.

"She was bragging about it. She said that if she couldn't see her granddaughter, she would use Beatrice to drag you through family court until you were completely bankrupt."

"She is funding Beatrice's lawsuit,"

I realized, a cold, clinical anger settling into my chest.

"Yes,"

Olivia confirmed.

"She transferred fifty thousand dollars into Beatrice's account last week to hire a predatory family lawyer. She thinks she can legally force you to hand Clare over for supervised weekends."

"Thank you for telling me, Olivia,"