Part 2

Daniel did not leave within thirty minutes.

He decided to call my bluff.

“You’re unstable,” he said while pacing my living room as Vanessa filmed me on her phone. “Everyone will understand. You just had a baby.”

“Say that again,” I replied calmly.

His eyes narrowed. “You’re unstable.”

Vanessa moved the phone closer.

I smiled.

The following morning, Daniel’s office received notice that he had been removed as acting CEO pending internal audit. By noon, his access card stopped functioning. By two o’clock, his bank called regarding frozen corporate accounts.

By five, he was pounding on my front door.

I watched him through the security camera while nursing our daughter.

“Mara!” he shouted. “Open the damn door!”

Vanessa stood behind him wearing sunglasses too oversized for her face.

“You crazy witch!” she screamed. “You ruined his company!”

I pressed the intercom button.

“No,” I said. “I protected mine.”

Silence.