Chapter 4 - The Consultation
"What did you just say?" I dropped to my knees so I was eye-level with my son.
Tyler’s small hands were trembling. "I was in the hallway looking for the bathroom at Grandma's house. I heard them. Dad said he needed the money for Seattle, and Grandma said she’d write the check, but only if I got to live with her in the summers."
I looked up at Daniel. His face was gray. The silence in the hallway was thick and suffocating. He didn't deny it. He just stared at the floor.
"Upstairs," I told Tyler softly, kissing his forehead. "Go lock your door, sweetie. I'll be right up."
As soon as Tyler's door clicked shut upstairs, I turned to Daniel. I didn't scream. I didn't cry. The betrayal was so absolute it burned away the tears.
"You sold our son," I whispered.
"She has money, Sarah! Tyler would have everything. Private schools, cars, a future! I just needed a loan to cover the debts I've been hiding from you!"
I didn't wait to hear what the debts were. I grabbed my keys from the silver bowl. "Get out."
"Sarah, please—"
"Get out of this house before I call the police and tell them you're trespassing."
He left. The front door shut with a hollow thud. I sat on the stairs until the sun came up, holding my father's silver watch.
At 9:00 AM sharp, I walked into the office of Patricia Hale. She was a woman in her late fifties with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense gray bob. I sat in the leather chair and told her everything. The slap. The boarding pass. The conversation Tyler overheard.
Patricia took notes, her expression unreadable. When I finished, she set her pen down.
"I can file an emergency restraining order against Linda today, and we can lock Daniel out of your joint accounts," Patricia said smoothly. "But there's something you need to know about your mother-in-law. I’m familiar with Linda’s family."
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"You know her?"
Patricia reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a manila folder. "She consulted with me three weeks ago. She wasn't just planning to take Tyler for the summers, Sarah. She was building a case to take full custody of both your children, claiming you were an unfit mother."
