Chapter 7 - The Video Goes Viral
Eleanor turned pale, her eyes darting between the security guards and the legal papers in Sterling’s hands.
"A protective order?" she stammered, backing toward the wall. "I'm her mother! You can't bar me from seeing my own daughter!"
"According to the police report, the hospital intake records, and this affidavit signed by Uncle Robert," Attorney Sterling said, his voice smooth and lethal as polished ice, "you are a co-conspirator in an act of domestic violence and extortion. You have sixty seconds to exit this facility before security removes you in cuffs."
Eleanor glared at me, her eyes burning with pure venom. "You will regret this, Maya. When you have nobody left to empty your bags or push your chair, don't you dare come crawling back."
"I would rather die on the street than let you touch my chair again," I replied coldly. "Get out."
The security guards flanked Eleanor, escorting her firmly through the double doors. The echo of her high heels clicking down the hallway faded into silence.
Uncle Robert exhaled heavily, sinking into the chair beside me. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"
"I am now," I murmured, resting my head against the pillows.
Avery looked up from her phone, her eyes wide. "Maya... look at this."
She turned the screen toward me. She had uploaded the full, unedited video to our private family communication portal late last night to prove to our relatives what had actually happened. But someone had screen-recorded it and posted it to TikTok and Facebook with the caption: *Local businessman Grant Vance assaults paralyzed sister at family dinner while mother covers it up.*
The video had exploded.
In less than six hours, it had accumulated over 3.2 million views, eighty thousand shares, and thousands of comments. The community had already identified Grant’s construction firm. The company’s social media pages were being flooded with one-star reviews, and local commercial clients were publicly canceling contracts in the comment sections.
*“This man shoved a paraplegic into a table! Lock him up!”* one viral comment read.
*“Look at the mother defending him while the girl is bleeding out on the floor. Absolutely sickening. Boycott Vance Builders!”* another said.
"I didn't leak it publicly," Avery said quickly, panic in her eyes. "Maya, I swear, I only posted it to the family drive so Uncle Robert and Aunt Clara could see the proof!"
"I know you didn't," I said softly, watching the view count jump by ten thousand in real-time. "It was probably one of the cousins. Or one of Grant's former employees who was cheated out of their paycheck."
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"The publicity changes things," Attorney Sterling remarked, leaning against the window sill. "The District Attorney's office hates high-profile public outrage. Grant’s arraignment is at 11:30 AM. With this much public attention, there is zero chance the judge grants an easy recognizance release. They are going to make an example of him."
"Good," I said, feeling the weight of three years of quiet manipulation lifting from my shoulders. "Let them."
