You’ll regret this when Grandpa hears how unstable you are.
I laughed so hard my ribs punished me.
She had no idea Grandpa was sitting beside my bed, reading every word.
“May I?” he asked.
I handed him my phone.
He typed one sentence.
This is Maren’s grandfather. I am aware.
Chloe stopped replying.
But Mom doubled down. From somewhere between Miami and open water, she sent voice messages dripping with poison.
“You think you’re powerful because you write contracts? I raised you. You owe me.”
Then another message came.
“If you don’t restart the payments before I get back, I’ll tell everyone you’re mentally unfit to raise that baby.”
The room went cold.
Grandpa looked at me.
“Did she just threaten custody?”
“She threatened gossip,” I said. “But yes.”
