Chapter 3
I stared at the shoe Eloise had pressed down on my diary.
The toe was stained with muddy water from the alleyways of the urban village.
"Eloise." My voice was quiet, but it stood out in the small room. "You really think you can be this cocky just because you believe Emily will protect you forever?"
Eloise paused for a moment and then laughed even louder.
She said, "Obviously. She's my mom. Who else would she protect? You? Some stray nobody who just popped up out of nowhere?
"Why would she protect you, some bastard nobody even knows where you came from?"
She kicked the diary aside.
"Keep smashing. Tear this place apart!" Eloise shouted.
I didn't move.
I stared at the shattered porcelain on the floor and at my dad, doubled over, clutching his stomach and struggling to breathe.
I grabbed my phone and punched in three numbers.
"911? I need to report an emergency," I said. "There's been a break-in, and my dad's been hurt. It's in..."
Eloise's face went pale.
She couldn't believe I actually called the police.
"Are you crazy?" she shouted.
She rushed at me, reaching for my phone.
I shot her a cold look. "Come on, try and take it. If you grab it, that's robbery and assault right there. How much do you think Emily will have to cough up to get you out of this mess?"
Eloise's hand froze in mid-air.
She gritted her teeth and shot me a nasty glare.
"Fine, just you wait," she snapped. "Let's go!"
She stormed out, dragging her two blond thugs with her.
About ten minutes later, the cops showed up.
The place was a total mess, and my dad was rushed to the hospital.
I was at the station, giving my statement.
The officer taking my statement frowned as he looked over the injury report I handed him.
"So you're saying she kicked you off the third floor, and now she's brought her crew to wreck your place?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied.
"Got any evidence?" he pressed.
I said, "The alley camera probably caught them coming in when they wrecked my place."
"As for her kicking me off the third floor..." I paused. "The Davidson family's cameras were broken."
The officer let out a sigh. "Without any solid evidence, it's tough to press charges.
"And since they're with the Davidson family, unless this is a criminal case, it'll just be a civil matter at best."
As we were talking, the door to the mediation room suddenly swung open.
Emily strode in.
She was rocking a sharp black suit and carrying a designer platinum purse.
Her presence was so strong that it felt like nothing could shake her.
"Hello, Officer. I'm Emily Poole, Eloise's mother and her legal representative," she said, handing over her business card.
The officer glanced at the card, his demeanor noticeably more courteous.
"Ms. Poole, your daughter is suspected of assault and disturbing the peace," the officer said.
Emily smiled calmly. "There may be some misunderstanding."
She strode right up to me, towering over me with that condescending look.
She said, "Grace, I know you resent the Davidson family. Back when you worked for us, you always had sticky fingers.
"Eloise only came to ask you about her lost necklace, and you two ended up fighting. As for you falling down the stairs, you just slipped—nothing more."
She pulled a USB drive out of her bag and set it on the table.
"This is the security footage from the Davidson family's hallway," she said. "The angle isn't great, but it's pretty clear that Grace backed up and slipped on her own."
I jerked my head up.
Eloise said the cameras were broken.
In my previous life, I'd never seen this footage before.
Emily actually forged the footage just to protect Eloise.
"Ms. Poole." I stared her down, refusing to back off. "You're actually forging evidence just to clear her name?"
Emily's expression didn't change at all.
"Grace, you'd better be careful with your accusations," she said coldly. "This video has already undergone forensic analysis. There's no evidence of any tampering.
"If you keep making baseless accusations, I'll take legal action against you for defamation."
She turned to the officer and said, "Sir, my daughter's still young. She didn't mean any harm. We'll cover the cost for anything broken.
"As for everything else, I hope you'll handle this fairly and not just listen to one person's story."
The officer watched the footage and then turned his gaze to me.
"Grace, if this video checks out, then your story falls apart," the officer said.
I sat in the chair.
My blood was boiling, anger flooding my mind.
This was what a hotshot lawyer did—turning lies into truth and making the innocent look guilty.
She left me with no way out.
After the mediation ended, I walked out of the police station with Emily.
The night air was chilly.
She walked up to her Porsche and paused before opening the door.
Emily turned to look at me with a mix of condescending pity and disgust, saying, "Grace, I have no idea where you managed to get your hands on that forged paternity test.
"You're just like that mechanic you call a father—poverty and greed run in your blood. Trash will always be trash."
I stood on the steps, taking in her immaculate appearance.
"Emily Poole," I called out her full name, my voice cold and clear. "Do you honestly believe Eloise is really your daughter?"
Her expression stiffened for a moment.
"What do you mean by that?" Emily demanded.
"Nothing," I replied, looking at her. "I just think you're really pitiful."