Fastnews

Chapter 21

Victoria realized what I was doing and completely lost whatever fragile grip on reality she had left. She lunged forward, wildly attempting to grab Lily’s arm, screaming obscenities that echoed off the high ceilings of the grocery store. I dropped my phone, grabbed Victoria by the shoulders, and forcefully shoved her backward. She tripped over a display of oranges, crashing hard onto the linoleum floor in a spectacular, humiliating heap.

"Stay down!" I shouted, standing protectively over my daughter while keeping my eyes entirely fixed on the manic woman on the floor.

The store manager rushed over, accompanied by a burly security guard who immediately positioned himself between us and Victoria. Less than three minutes later, the wail of police sirens pierced the evening air. Two uniformed officers jogged into the store, their hands resting cautiously on their duty belts.

"She is violating a court-ordered restraining order," I informed the officers calmly, handing one of them my driver's license for identification. "She is also the primary suspect in an ongoing child abuse investigation being handled by Detective Miller at the central precinct."

Victoria tried to fight the officers as they hauled her to her feet, screaming that I was the abuser and that she was a victim of a massive corporate conspiracy. Her hysterical lies fell on completely deaf ears. The officers clicked heavy steel handcuffs around her wrists, read her Miranda rights, and marched her directly out of the store in front of dozens of staring, whispering witnesses.

May you like

I turned around and pulled Lily into a tight, comforting embrace right there in the middle of the ruined produce aisle.

"She can't hurt you anymore," I promised, kissing the top of her head. "She just completely sealed her own fate. It's truly over now."

Other posts