Chapter 3 - THE FALLOUT
By day three in the hospital, I was allowed to be wheeled down to the NICU to hold my tiny daughter, whom we named Lily. Sitting in that rocking chair with her fragile weight against my chest, the reality of what my family had done settled over me like a suffocating blanket.
Maya, my best friend, came to visit later that afternoon. She brought me a clean change of clothes and a terrifying update.
"The engagement party ended in police tape," Maya said, handing me a cup of tea. "Preston and your mom were hauled off in squad cars. But Clara... your dad bailed them both out yesterday. And they are already spinning the story."
"Spinning it how?" I asked, my blood running cold.
"Your dad is telling his country club friends that you had a hormonal breakdown, slipped and fell, and that Julian abused his badge to arrest your mom out of spite. He's hiring the best defense attorneys in the state."
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was a text from my sister, Chloe.
Chloe: You ruined my life. Preston's parents are threatening to cancel the wedding because of the scandal. Drop the charges right now or Dad says he will ruin Julian's career.
May you like
I stared at the message. For twenty-four years, I had bent over backward for their approval. I had worn cheap clothes so they could buy Chloe designer bags. I had accepted their insults. But looking at the stitches on my head and thinking of my baby in an incubator, something inside me permanently snapped.
I handed the phone to Julian as he walked into the room. "Save that screenshot," I said, my voice eerily calm. "It's witness tampering and blackmail."
