Chapter 5 - Shattered Bonds
Back at the Carter house, the phone had been ringing off the hook all morning.
Laura unplugged the landline from the wall, tossing the receiver onto the sofa.
She walked into the kitchen, where Emily was quietly eating a bowl of cereal.
The red mark on Emily’s cheek had faded into a dull, yellowish bruise, but the emotional scars were fresh.
Suddenly, a loud banging echoed from the front door.
Laura froze, her eyes locking with Emily’s.
"Don't move," Laura whispered, marching toward the entryway.
She looked through the peephole and felt her blood boil.
It was a man in a cheap suit, holding a leather briefcase.
Laura threw the door open, her body blocking the threshold completely.
"Who are you?" Laura demanded.
"I'm Arthur Jenkins, attorney for Rebecca Hayes," the man said smoothly, handing Laura a business card.
Laura slapped the card out of his hand.
"Get off my porch," she ordered.
"Mrs. Carter, please," the lawyer sighed, taking a step back.
"Your sister is facing twenty years in state prison for conspiracy and fraud."
"She wants to make a deal with you."
"A deal?" Laura laughed, a harsh, bitter sound.
"If you convince your daughter to drop the assault charges regarding the slap, Rebecca will give you full ownership of your mother’s estate."
Laura stared at the man in utter disgust.
Her sister was sitting in a jail cell, still trying to buy her way out of taking responsibility.
She was still trying to manipulate the family.
"You listen to me very carefully," Laura said, stepping out onto the porch and getting right in the lawyer's face.
"My daughter’s trauma is not for sale."
"Tell Rebecca that she is dead to me."
"Tell her to rot in that cell, and that if she ever contacts my family again, I will personally ensure she never sees daylight."
Laura slammed the heavy wooden door shut, locking the deadbolt with a satisfying click.
She turned around to see Emily standing in the hallway, tears welling in her eyes.
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But this time, they were not tears of fear.
They were tears of profound gratitude for a mother who fought for her like a lioness.
