CHAPTER 2: THE POLICE SAW EVERYTHING
No one spoke after I ended the call.
The apartment suddenly felt smaller.
Even the sound of Audrey's quiet sobs echoed through the marble halls.
Victoria folded her hands neatly in her lap.
"You've embarrassed this family enough," she said calmly. "Tell security to leave."
I looked at her.
"No."
Her lips tightened.
"You would call the police on your own mother?"
"I called them for my wife."
Marissa took one cautious step toward the door.
"I really think this is just a misunderstanding—"
"It stopped being a misunderstanding," I interrupted, "the moment you told a pregnant woman to pour bleach on open skin."
"I never forced her!"
Audrey's trembling voice broke the silence.
"You said... if I wanted to be a clean mother... I had to scrub until the rash disappeared."
Marissa froze.
Victoria immediately spoke over her.
"She has pregnancy hormones. She's imagining things."
Then the doorbell rang.
Building security entered first.
Behind them came two police officers and an EMT team.
One officer knelt beside Audrey.
"My name is Officer Lewis. Can you tell me what happened?"
Audrey looked at me.
I nodded.
For the first time that afternoon...
She spoke.
Everything.
She described weeks of insults.
How Victoria called her "contaminated."
How Marissa insisted every tiny pregnancy rash meant infection.
How they took away her phone during the day because they claimed stress wasn't good for the baby.
How today's punishment had lasted nearly an hour.
The EMT carefully examined Audrey's arms.
"This isn't a simple rash," she said grimly.
"These are chemical burns."
Victoria actually laughed.
"Oh, don't be dramatic."
The EMT slowly looked up.
"Ma'am... bleach can permanently damage skin."
The room fell silent.
Officer Lewis turned toward Marissa.
"You're a licensed nurse?"
Marissa swallowed.
"Yes."
"Were you aware bleach should never be applied directly to damaged skin?"
She couldn't answer.
The officer didn't need another word.
"Ma'am," he said, "please stand up."
Marissa's knees nearly gave out.
May you like
For the first time in years...
My mother looked uncertain.
