Chapter 4 - The Reveal
Eleanor’s face contorted in confusion, then outrage. "The pantry? What kind of sick joke is this?"
I didn't answer. I simply walked over to the locked pantry door in the kitchen. I turned the deadbolt and pulled the door open.
David was huddled on the floor, surrounded by sacks of flour and canned goods. His wrists and ankles were still bound by zip-ties, his hair disheveled, and a strip of duct tape I had placed over his mouth earlier that morning kept him quiet.
Eleanor let out a blood-curdling shriek. "David! Oh my god, my baby!"
She rushed forward, falling to her knees and clawing desperately at the zip-ties on his wrists. "What did you do to him, you psycho?!" she screamed at me, her face purple with rage. "I’m calling the police! I’m going to have you locked up for the rest of your life!"
"I already called them," I said calmly, leaning against the kitchen counter.
Eleanor froze, looking up at me. David let out a muffled groan, shaking his head frantically, his eyes wide with pure terror.
"You see, Eleanor," I continued, checking my watch. "While you were bragging about financial abuse, coercion, and domestic violence on hidden cameras, my lawyer was watching a live feed. She dispatched the police about ten minutes ago."
Eleanor ripped the duct tape off David’s mouth. "Tell them she attacked you, David! Tell them she went crazy!"
"Mom, shut up!" David cried, tears streaming down his face. "She has my phone! She has your voice notes! She recorded me confessing!"
The color drained from Eleanor’s face entirely. The arrogant, untouchable matriarch was suddenly replaced by a terrified, cornered animal. She stood up, looking frantically for an exit. "You little bitch," she hissed, lunging at me with her nails bared.
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I didn't even have to use my martial arts training. I simply stepped to the side, and Eleanor tripped over her own designer heels, crashing into the kitchen island.
Right on cue, the heavy pounding on the front door echoed through the house. "Police! Open up!"
