Chapter 2
Charlotte pulled a battered suitcase with one hand, gripping Hazel's hand tightly with the other.
She dressed Hazel in her cleanest clothes and gently untangled her knotted hair with cold water.
Hazel was quiet and obedient, her wide, bewildered eyes taking in everything around her with curiosity.
"Mom, let's go. I'm taking you to see a doctor," Charlotte said softly.
Hazel nodded, not quite understanding. "Let's go see a doctor."
In the living room, Gregory and Brandon were jolted awake by the sound of the door opening.
Gregory, wrapped in a robe, stepped out and saw Charlotte and Hazel at the door, instantly wide awake.
"You really think you can walk out?" His face was twisted with anger and contempt.
Brandon followed, yawning. "Charlotte, quit messing around, will you? Where do you think you can go with Mom? You don't have any money. You two won't even have a dime for food out there."
Charlotte ignored them.
She took one last look at this place they called "home," this cold, suffocating place holding nothing worth remembering.
Then she took Hazel's hand and stepped over the threshold.
"Stop right there!" Gregory roared. "Charlotte, if you dare walk out that door today, don't ever call me your father again."
Charlotte paused. But she didn't turn around.
Gregory thought his threat had worked, a smug grin spreading across his face.
But what Charlotte said next wiped the grin right off his face.
"Dad, there's one thing I forgot to mention," she said, her voice soft, yet cutting through the quiet. "All of Mom's hospital bills, medical records...
She paused, her tone growing icier. "And the police reports filed every time the neighbors called 911 because of you beating her? I made copies of every single one and took them with me."
Gregory's face darkened.
"You never gave me a single dollar for child support, but I won't ask you for it," she said. "Spousal support and medical alimony, though? You won't be dodging those. Once I'm settled in the city, expect to hear from my attorney."
With that, she didn't linger. Taking Hazel's hand, she walked with determination toward the road leading out of town.
The morning sun pierced through the mist, casting its light on her frail yet unyielding silhouette.
Behind her, Gregory stood frozen in the yard. His mouth hung open, but he couldn't get a single word out. His throat felt tight.
All the control he prided himself on, the iron grip he took for granted, collapsed against her quiet resolve. Staring at her retreating figure, a surge of panic seized him for the first time.
Brandon blinked in disbelief. "Dad, is she serious? What attorney?"
Gregory shuddered, breaking out of his daze, and bolted back into the house. He tore through the bedroom, yanking open drawers and cabinets.
The drawer where all the family paperwork was kept sat bare, with nothing left behind except a couple of crumpled utility bills in the corner.
Cold sweat broke out on Gregory's forehead. He was finished.
He slumped to the floor, his eyes empty and hollow.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that his quiet, submissive daughter had spent years secretly orchestrating such a devastating blow.