Chapter 3

I had just gotten Leo down for his afternoon nap when the doorbell rang.

I checked the peephole. A man and a woman in their early thirties stood outside. They were dressed decently, but the grim entitlement on their faces was unmistakable.

I cracked the door open without unlocking the security latch, with zero intention of inviting them in.

Greg was quick to put on a polite front, offering a shallow bow. "Ms. Vance, we are so sorry about my mother. We came specifically to apologize to you."

I leaned against the doorframe, silent.

Amber nudged Greg from behind. Greg quickly lifted a lavish fruit basket.

"Just a small token of our sincerity. Please, Ms. Vance, show a little grace. Don't take it out on an old woman. She's getting up there in years, and sometimes she doesn't think straight. She lacks judgment."

I glanced at the basket and kept my hands in my pockets.

"Her head seemed perfectly clear when she was digging her nails into my son," I said quietly.

"And when she asked him who taught him to be so selfish, her tongue worked just fine. Didn't sound like someone with cognitive issues to me."

Greg's smile stiffened.

Amber couldn't hold back anymore. She pushed past him.

"Look, Ms. Vance, let's be real here. My mother-in-law worked for you for almost a year. Even if she didn't do everything right, she worked hard, didn't she? Are you really going to ruin her life over one little incident?"

"She's sitting in county jail right now, and our whole family is suffering for it! Can't you just let it go?"

I looked at her, letting out a soft, mocking laugh.

"One little incident? You call felony child abuse a 'little incident'?"

"Your kid grabbed the toy from Toby first!" Amber snapped.

"The camera caught every second. Your son stole from mine," my voice wasn't loud, but it was solid iron.

"Your mother didn't stop him. She helped him, and then she bruised my three-year-old. If you honestly think that's no big deal, how about I go pinch your son right now and see if you shrug it off?"

Amber's face flushed crimson. She opened her mouth to spit venom, but Greg yanked her back.

"Enough, Amber! Ms. Vance, let's not fight."

Greg inhaled deeply, switching to a transactional tone. "How about this? You sign an affidavit of non-prosecution so my mom can post bail, and we'll compensate you cash. Name your price. How much do you want?"

Looking at his smug face—believing money could wash away his mother's cruelty—my blood boiled.

"I don't want your money. I want her prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

The fake warmth vanished from Greg's face.

"Ms. Vance, you really want to play hardball?"

His tone dropped into a threat. "Think carefully. If she actually gets convicted and sent away, she's old and in poor health. If something happens to her in prison, will your conscience ever let you sleep?"

I nearly laughed out loud.

"Did she think about her conscience when she abused my son?"

"You—!"

Greg's face turned dark, but he swallowed his anger again, adopting a patronizing, lecturing tone.

"Ms. Vance, you're a smart woman. We're all parents here. You should understand a grandmother's love for her grandson.”

“She just adores Toby too much and made a stupid mistake in the heat of the moment. Can't you find it in your heart to give an old woman a second chance?"

"Loving her grandson gives her the right to hurt someone else's baby?" I stared into his eyes, enunciating every syllable. "Your son is a precious treasure, but mine is trash? Your mother loves your kid, but I don't love mine?"

Amber muttered under her breath from the side, "It's not like he ended up in the ER. It was just a bruise. It's not real damage."

I glared at her, pulling out my phone.

"Bring your son up here right now. Let's see how you feel when I leave the exact same bruise on his arm."

Amber flinched and took a step back.

Greg completely ran out of patience. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Nora Vance, I came here to negotiate like an adult, but you're being unreasonable. Don't make choices you'll regret."

"Is that a threat?" I arched an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't dare threaten you. It's just a friendly reminder."

Greg pulled Amber toward the elevator. After a few steps, he paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Walls have ears, Ms. Vance. And karma comes around fast. Think about that."

I watched them step into the elevator, then slammed the heavy door shut and turned the deadbolt.

Leo was standing barefoot at the end of the hallway, rubbing his sleepy eyes and looking at me with wide, frightened eyes. "Mommy... did the bad people leave?"

I knelt down and gathered his warm little body into my arms.

"They're gone, sweetie. Don't be scared. Mommy's here."

He clung to my neck, whispering, "Mommy, I don't want Miss Brenda to come back. She's mean."

I kissed his forehead gently. "She is never coming back. It's just you and me from now on."

That evening, the agency manager called me back.

His tone was slippery, subtly hinting that settling out of court might be best, mentioning that Brenda's relatives had caused multiple scenes at their office and hurt their business.

I gave him a blunt "No."

He went silent and hung up.

The next morning, my phone blared, waking me up. It was my close friend Sarah.

"Nora! Turn on your phone right now! You're trending on local community forums and Twitter!"