Chapter 2 - The Mysterious Lifeline
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The silence in the parlor stretched tight enough to snap.
Jeffrey attempted to grab my arm, but I stood up quickly, placing my body between him and the dining table. My camera remained trained on his face, capturing the guilty flicker in his eyes.
"Delete that video right now, Madeline," Jeffrey ordered, his voice dropping into a stern command. "You don't understand the full situation. You were gone for two years."
"I was working for our family!" I shouted, the restraint in my chest shattering. "I was running the London acquisition so your company wouldn't go bankrupt!"
"And you left your son behind!" Cynthia interjected, standing up while holding her baby close. "A real mother doesn't abandon her child for corporate greed. Austin is raised with love because I stay home."
Noelle scoffed from the sofa. "The boy has behavioral issues, Madeline. He throws tantrums. We had to discipline him. Eating under the table was the only way to keep him calm."
I looked at Noelle, the woman whose medical bills I had quietly settled six months ago. "He is four years old, Noelle. You treated my son like an unwanted dog."
Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my hand. A text notification popped up over the video recording interface.
It was from an unlisted number.
I have the security footage from the pantry and the nursery for the last eighteen months. Meet me at the diner on 5th Street in twenty minutes if you want to destroy them.
My breath hitched. Someone inside this house had been watching. Someone was waiting for me to return.
"Liam, come here," I said softly, ignoring Jeffrey's protests as I dropped to my knees again.
This time, I didn't reach out aggressively. I simply extended my hand, palm up. Liam looked from Jeffrey to me, his big brown eyes filled with tears. Slowly, hesitatingly, he crawled out from under the table and placed his tiny, filthy hand into mine.
"We are leaving," I said, lifting my son into my arms. He felt dangerously light, his ribs visible beneath his thin shirt.
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"You aren't taking him anywhere!" Jeffrey yelled, stepping into my path. "This is my house!"
"This house is in my name, Jeffrey," I said coldly, looking him dead in the eye. "And by tomorrow morning, you won't even have a key."
