Chapter 4 - The Legal Strike
Monday morning arrived with a cold, relentless rain.
David sat in the sleek downtown office of Marcus Sterling, a lawyer known for destroying his opponents in court.
Marcus reviewed the hospital reports, the police statements, and the barrage of unhinged text messages.
"Your family is incredibly stupid," Marcus said, adjusting his glasses.
"They have essentially admitted to the entire sequence of events in these texts, while simultaneously threatening you."
"I want Valerie charged with child abuse," David said, his voice hard as steel.
"And I want a restraining order against all of them."
Marcus smiled, a predatory gleam in his eyes.
"We will get the temporary restraining order today," the lawyer promised.
"As for Valerie, the district attorney is already reviewing the photos the police took."
Meanwhile, across town, Valerie was sitting at her desk at the prestigious real estate agency where she worked.
She was loudly complaining to her coworkers about her "psycho cousin" when two police officers walked through the glass doors.
The entire office fell dead silent as the officers approached her desk.
"Valerie Vance?" the lead officer asked.
"Yes?" she answered, her arrogant smirk faltering for the first time.
"You are under arrest for the battery and assault of a minor," the officer declared loudly enough for the whole floor to hear.
Valerie screamed and thrashed as the cold steel handcuffs clicked around her wrists.
May you like
She was dragged out of the building in front of her shocked colleagues, crying hysterically for her mother.
The consequences of her "joke" had finally arrived.
