Chapter 6 - Brandon’s Performance|
Before Emily could touch her phone, I reached across the table, tapped the speakerphone icon, and answered the call.
“Emily! Oh thank God you finally picked up!” Brandon’s voice burst through the speaker, dripping with dramatic desperation and frantic anxiety. “Where are you? I’ve been driving around all night out of my mind with worry! Look, yesterday was a complete misunderstanding. My mother went a little too far, I admit that, but you can’t just abandon your husband like this!”
I let out a low, icy laugh that cut his rant short.
“You weren't driving around looking for your pregnant wife last night, Brandon,” I said coldly. “You were awake all night because your private lenders were knocking on your mother's front door demanding their first installment.”
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the phone line. When Brandon spoke again, his sweet, concerned husband persona was completely gone, replaced by a dark snarl.
“Margaret,” Brandon hissed through his teeth. “Put my wife on the phone right now. You have no right to meddle in our marriage. Emily is my wife, and she is carrying my child!”
“She is in a secure location, far away from you and your sociopathic mother,” I replied calmly.
“You think freezing the trust fund makes you powerful?” Brandon began to growl into the receiver. “I’m going to sue you for everything you have! I’ll file an emergency injunction for fetal kidnapping! I’ll take Emily to court and strip her of every right she has!”
“Fetal kidnapping? Did you forget the baby hasn't even been born yet, you idiot?” I scoffed. “Save your breath for the judge, Brandon. This morning, Arthur filed for an emergency contested divorce on Emily’s behalf. And a temporary restraining order against both you and your mother has already been signed by a magistrate.”
“You can’t do this to me!” Brandon screamed.
“Watch me,” I said.
I hung up the call and instantly blocked his number.
Emily looked up at me, a tiny spark of defiance finally igniting in her brown eyes.
May you like
“Mom... he’s going to fight dirty. He’s going to do everything he can to ruin our family’s reputation.”
“Let him try,” I said, standing up and smoothing down my blazer. “The harder he thrashes, the tighter the rope wraps around his own neck.”
