Chapter 9 - No More Family Discounts
"Get out," Jaren said.
Tamsin stared at her husband. "Jaren, please, it was an accident! I didn't know! Maren tricked me! She didn't tell me it was Bryer’s!"
"Would it have mattered if it was Maya's?" Jaren barked, stepping directly into her space. "You broke into my sister-in-law's home! You destroyed a four-thousand-dollar instrument out of sheer, sickening jealousy and spite! You wanted to break a little girl's heart, and you ended up breaking your own daughter's!"
"I am your wife!"
"Not for long," Jaren said, reaching into his coat pocket. He pulled out a thick manila envelope and dropped it onto the floor right on top of the shattered violin fragments. "Those are divorce papers. Served. My attorney filed an emergency temporary custody injunction two hours ago based on your domestic instability and financial theft."
"You can't do this!" Tamsin wailed. "Maren, tell him! We're sisters!"
"We were sisters," I said. "Until you decided that destroying children was acceptable sport."
Outside, the unmistakable sound of sirens echoed up the suburban street. Red and blue strobe lights reflected against the living room walls.
Tamsin's head whipped toward the window. "You called the cops?!"
"The moment you walked into my home uninvited," I said, showing her the active call log on my secondary desk phone. "Destruction of private property over one thousand dollars is a Class D felony in this state, Tamsin. Marcus Davies has already forwarded the certified purchase receipt and the appraisal certificate to Officer Hendricks."
"Mom will never forgive you for this!" Tamsin screamed, backing away toward the rear glass door as heavy footsteps pounded up the front porch. "None of them will! You're tearing this family apart!"
"The family was already torn," I said. "You were just using my money to hide the seams."
Two police officers entered through the open front door, their hands resting on their utility belts.
"Maren Vance?" the lead officer asked.
"I’m Maren," I replied calmly. "This woman broke into my residence and maliciously destroyed four thousand dollars worth of custom property. I have the entire incident captured on video, from the moment she entered to the moment she snapped it across her knee."
"Officer, it’s a family dispute!" Tamsin shrieked, flailing her arms as the second officer stepped behind her. "It’s my sister! She’s trying to frame me! Jaren, tell them!"
Jaren looked at the officer. "She has no legal right to be on this property. And she stole from our daughter's college fund last week. I want to press full charges."
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"Ma'am, put your hands behind your back," the officer commanded.
When the cold steel of the handcuffs clicked around Tamsin's wrists, the silence in the room was absolute. She wasn't smirking anymore. She wasn't performing for Facebook. She was sobbing—real, pathetic, terrified tears—as she was led down the driveway in full view of the entire neighborhood.
