Chapter 2 - The Eviction
"You can't kick me out!" Tyler yelled, his voice cracking as his bravado morphed into a childish tantrum. "This is my house! I live here!"
"You reside here as a guest," Eleanor corrected smoothly, sliding a formal eviction notice across the lace tablecloth. "A guest whose welcome expired the moment you laid hands on the property owner. Sign the acknowledgment, Tyler."
"I’m not signing anything!" he roared, taking an aggressive step toward the table.
Instantly, both Officer Davis and Officer Hayes had their hands resting on their utility belts.
"Son, I highly suggest you take a deep breath," Officer Hayes warned, his tone dangerously low. "You can walk out that front door with a trash bag of your clothes, or you can walk out in handcuffs for domestic battery. The choice is yours, but you have exactly ten minutes to make it."
Tyler looked at me, desperation flooding his eyes. He expected me to cave. He expected the mother who had absorbed his abuse for years to suddenly rush forward, cry, and call off the dogs.
I just stared back at him, my expression made of stone.
"Mom. Please," he whispered, trying to play the victim. "I have nowhere to go. I have no money."
"You should have thought about that before you raised your fist," I replied coldly.
May you like
Realizing I was no longer his safety net, a dark, venomous anger flashed across his face. He stormed upstairs, throwing things around his bedroom. Ten minutes later, he came back down with two stuffed garbage bags.
He didn't look at me as the officers escorted him out the front door. The heavy oak door clicked shut behind him, and for the first time in years, the air in my house felt clean.
