Marcus stood in the doorway.
He took my phone and ordered me to delete everything. Then he demanded that I sign over my company shares and surrender custody of Chloe. He claimed professionals would describe me as unstable if I resisted.
For years, he had built a story portraying me as too weak to believe.
What he did not know was that Arthur had provided a second device hidden in my collar. Investigators nearby could hear us.
I pretended to surrender and said the backup was on another computer. As Marcus forced me into the hallway, Chloe opened her bedroom door.
“Let go of my mom,” she said.
Marcus ordered her back inside.
Chloe trembled but remained there.
“I am not afraid of you anymore.”
Her courage gave me strength. I moved between them.
Before Marcus could continue, police announced themselves at the entrance. He tried to escape through the rear, but officers were waiting.
Investigators secured the safe, financial records, and recordings. Chloe and I left before sunrise with a caseworker and one suitcase.
