Chapter 3 - The Fugitive Mother
The officers unclipped their radios and pulled out their own flashlights.
They believed every single word my mother said.
Elaine had always been a master of playing the wealthy, victimized matriarch.
I knew that if the police found us now, they would arrest me on the spot.
Tyler’s breathing was shallow, and I knew he needed a doctor for his ribs immediately.
I hoisted my son onto my back and gripped Megan’s hand tighter.
We moved silently deeper into the woods, heading toward the main highway.
The freezing mud seeped into my shoes, but adrenaline kept the cold at bay.
After thirty minutes of agonizing stealth, we reached the glowing lights of a 24-hour roadside diner.
I rushed the kids inside and begged the teenage waitress to let me use the landline.
I dialed my best friend, Sarah, praying she was home.
Sarah answered on the second ring and promised to come immediately.
We huddled in a back booth, wrapped in our coats, trying to stay out of sight.
When Sarah's dusty Subaru finally pulled into the parking lot, I nearly cried with pure relief.
We piled into the warm car, and I quickly explained the nightmare that had just unfolded.
Sarah drove us straight to the emergency room in the next county over.
While a doctor examined Tyler, Sarah handed me her phone so I could check my bank accounts to pay for a motel.
I logged into my banking app and stared at the screen in absolute horror.
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My checking account was completely empty.
A new fifty-thousand-dollar personal loan had been issued in my name just two hours ago.
