Chapter 1 - The Guests at the Table
Tyler swaggered into the dining room, the smirk on his face practically glowing with misplaced triumph. He pulled out his chair, expecting me to slide a plate of hot pancakes in front of him, followed by a tearful apology and an envelope of cash.
Then, he finally looked up.
Sitting at my vintage lace-covered table, nursing cups of black coffee, were three people Tyler never expected to see in his mother’s home.
The first was Officer Davis, a twenty-year veteran of the local police force. The second was his partner, Officer Hayes. And sitting at the head of the table, wearing a razor-sharp charcoal blazer, was Eleanor Vance—the most ruthless family law and property attorney in the county.
Tyler’s smirk vanished. The color completely drained from his face, leaving him looking like a ghost in gym shorts.
"What is this?" he stammered, looking from the police to me. "Mom, what is going on?"
I didn't flinch. I stood by the kitchen counter, my arms crossed, the bruise on my left cheekbone heavily concealed by makeup but still throbbing.
"This is accountability, Tyler," I said, my voice steady, devoid of the trembling fear he was so used to hearing.
"Mrs. Miller," Officer Davis stood up, placing his coffee mug down. He looked at Tyler with the cold, assessing glare of a man who had seen too many domestic abusers. "Is this the young man who assaulted you last night?"
Tyler took a step back, holding his hands up defensively. "Assaulted? Wait, wait, this is a misunderstanding! We had an argument. She’s overreacting! Mom, tell them you're overreacting!"
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Eleanor Vance calmly opened her leather briefcase and pulled out a stack of legal documents. "Tyler Miller, as of 6:00 AM this morning, a judge has granted a temporary restraining order against you. You are to vacate this premises immediately, and you are barred from coming within five hundred feet of this property, or your mother."
Tyler’s eyes went wide with pure panic. The illusion of his control was shattering in real-time.
