Chapter 4 - The Homecoming
Three days later, I returned to Columbus, escorted by Detective Miller.
The apartment was filled with the smell of cigarette smoke and the sound of laughter. They clearly thought they had won. When I walked through the door, with the police right behind me, the room went deathly silent.
Lydia dropped her tea cup. Heather turned pale, her phone falling from her grip. Walter stood up, his face reddening with a mix of fury and fear.
"You!" he roared, pointing a finger at me. "I told you never to come back!"
"Actually, Dad," Detective Miller said, stepping into the light, "we have a few questions for you regarding the theft of a gold bracelet, the embezzlement of a college fund, and an assault report filed by your daughter-in-law."
"This is a lie!" Heather shrieked, scrambling toward the toy chest. "She's insane! She planted everything!"
"We have the cloud footage, Heather," I said, stepping forward. My voice was steady, my gaze unwavering. "We have the footage of you hiding the bracelet. We have the footage of your father paying you off with money stolen from my daughter’s future. And the police have the financial logs from my bank account."
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Elmer walked in from the bedroom, looking confused and disheveled. "Joanna? What is this? Mom, what's going on?"
"Elmer," I said, looking at him with absolute detachment. "Your family isn't just cruel. They are criminals. And you were so busy being a 'good son' that you let them turn your daughter into a victim."
