Chapter 5 - Sixty Seconds of Silence
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The insult hung heavy in the air.
I expected my mother to shout. I expected her to grab a broom or threaten to call the police. But my mother did neither.
Instead, she smiled.
It wasn't a smile of pleasure or amusement. It was the calm, deadly smile of a grandmaster who had just watched an opponent walk blindly into a checkmate.
"Are you finished, Declan?" my mother asked softly.
Declan frowned, caught off guard by her total lack of fear. "What did you say to me?"
"I asked if you were finished talking," Mom repeated.
She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out the old black flip phone once again. She flipped it open with a familiar, practiced flick of her wrist.
Chloe sneered, rolling her eyes. "What is that, a relic from the nineties? What are you going to do, call the local gossip club?"
Declan laughed, regaining his confidence. "Call whoever you want, old woman. I own the best legal team in the state. I own the bank that holds the mortgage on your pathetic little house. By next week, I'll have you both on the street!"
My mother didn't answer. She pressed the green call button, held the phone to her ear for two seconds, and then closed it with a soft click.
She placed the phone back into her apron pocket and folded her arms across her chest.
"We wait," Mom said simply.
"Wait for what?" Declan scoffed, checking his gold Rolex. "I don't have time for your mind games. Maya, get your coat. You're coming back to sign the separation agreement, or I’m cutting off every card you have."
Nobody moved. The porch was quiet except for the rustle of the wind through the oak trees.
Ten seconds passed.
Twenty seconds.
Declan began to look annoyed, tapping his expensive Italian leather shoe against the porch floor. "This is ridiculous. Chloe, let's go."
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At precisely fifty-nine seconds, the heavy silence was shattered by a sharp, high-pitched ring.
Declan reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his encrypted corporate iPhone.
