Chapter 2

That sterile hospital smell still clung to my clothes, even now. It had been days, and the scent of antiseptic and despair wouldn't leave me.

I walked into Leo's room, my heart clenching. His small body was a roadmap of bruises, a grim drawing of the violence he'd endured. His arm, heavily bandaged, lay awkwardly on the pillow. His face, usually bright with curiosity, was pale and drawn.

"Mom," he whispered, his voice thin. "Dad didn't come today."

I forced a smile, a shaky shield over my own pain. "He's very busy, sweetie. Important work." The words felt like sandpaper in my throat.

Just then, the door creaked open. Bethany Morales stood there, perfectly coiffed, a designer bag slung over her arm. Beside her, Mateo, the boy who had done this to my son, clutched a garish balloon animal. It felt like a deliberate taunt.

Mateo smirked, then squeezed the balloon. It let out a high-pitched squeak, making Leo flinch and pull his arm closer.

My blood ran cold. Every protective instinct flared. "Get out," I snarled, my voice low and dangerous.

Bethany's perfect brow furrowed. "Oh, Claire, don't be like that. We just came to express our... sympathy. Mateo feels so bad, don't you, sweetie?"

Mateo mumbled something, eyes fixed on his warped balloon. He didn't look remorseful. He looked bored.

"Sympathy?" I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping me. "Your son put mine in the hospital. If you want to show sympathy, bring your son in here, tie his arms behind his back, and let Leo hit him until he's half-dead. Then we can talk about 'sympathy'."

Bethany gasped, pulling Mateo closer. "How dare you? He's just a child!"

"And what is Leo?" I shot back, my voice trembling with rage. "A punching bag? Tell me, Bethany, who else is protecting your precious little brute now that Calvin's got his hands dirty for you again?"

Mateo, emboldened by his mother's presence, took a step forward. "My dad says you're crazy."

Something inside me snapped. A roaring, primitive fury. I lunged, not at Mateo, but at Bethany's arm, twisting it. She shrieked, dropping the balloon.

Before I could do more, a strong hand gripped my shoulder, yanking me back. It was a security guard. Bethany, rubbing her arm, stumbled back against the wall, clutching Mateo.

Leo's pained cry ripped through the room. "Mommy! My arm!" The sudden movement had pulled at his IV line. A fresh crimson stain bloomed on his white bandage.

Just then, two police officers appeared, their faces grim. One of them, Officer Miller, looked at me with a detached, almost pitying expression. Bethany, now in full dramatic victim mode, was sobbing, pointing at me.

"She attacked me! Right here, in front of our children!"

I stood there, disheveled, hair falling across my face, breathing hard. Bethany, despite her 'trauma', looked immaculate.

"She assaulted me and my son," Bethany wailed, "after what her son did to mine!"

"What my son did?" I roared, shaking off the security guard's grip. "Your son nearly killed mine! And you're trying to spin this?"

Officer Miller held up a hand. "Ma'am, please calm down. We've heard both sides." He turned to Bethany, a soft, reassuring tone in his voice. "Ms. Morales, we'll make sure you and your son are safe."

"What about my son?" I demanded, gesturing to Leo, who was now clutching his arm, tears streaming down his face. "He's the victim here!"

Officer Miller turned back to me, his expression hardening. "Ma'am, we have a report from the school. Your son instigated the fight."

My jaw dropped. "That's a lie! He's been bullied for months! Calvin knows that!"

Suddenly, a flicker of recognition crossed Miller's face. He glanced at the other officer, a knowing look passing between them. "Mrs. Hayden," he said, his voice now colder, "I understand this is difficult. But we have clear statements. And frankly, your behavior just now was out of line."

"Out of line?" I laughed, a raw, humorless sound. "You think this is out of line? What about protecting a bully? What about covering up for a kid who belongs in juvenile detention?"

"Ma'am, we're going to have to ask you to come down to the station for questioning," Miller said, his hand already moving towards his holster.

"Questioning?" I stared at him, disbelief flooding me. "He's corrupted you all, hasn't he? My husband! He's pulled strings, just like he always does for her!"

A tight, controlled smile touched Miller's lips. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mrs. Hayden."

The world tilted. The injustice was a weight so crushing, it stole the air from my lungs. My knees buckled. I felt a dizzying wave of nausea, the room spinning.

"She's resisting," I heard Miller say, distant and muffled.

I felt rough hands on me again, pulling me, forcing my arms behind my back. The cold metal of handcuffs clicked into place. They were just like the heavy oak door Calvin had slammed, cutting me off.

The fluorescent lights of the precinct hummed. They were too bright, too harsh, reflecting off the cold metal desk in front of me. I sat there for hours, every minute a grinding agony. My mind, however, was already far away, replaying old scenes.

Calvin's charm, his ambition, his promises of a perfect life. I had believed them all. I had built my world around him, around the image of a steadfast, honorable man. I had traded my dreams for his, my voice for his authority.

Now, sitting in this desolate room, the truth was a bitter pill. He hadn't just neglected our son; he had actively worked against him. This wasn't a man who loved me, or protected our family. This was a man who protected his own secrets, his own carefully constructed image, at any cost. This wasn't the man I'd married. This was a stranger, draped in the skin of my husband. The beautiful lie had been stripped away, leaving only raw, ugly bone.

I was done being manipulated. Done being the quiet, understanding wife. A cold, hard resolve crystallized in my gut. I would fight. Not for him, not for us. For Leo. And if Calvin stood in my way, he would regret it.