My Son, Their Prop- A Mother's Wrath to Burn It All Down

Chapter 4

By the time the police showed up, the house was completely trashed. My anger had taken over, and I'd smashed everything I could get my hands on. The woman holding Norris tried to slip away, but I blocked her path, raising the stool in my hand as a warning.

"One more step, and I'll hit you with this!"

Norris was crying in her arms, and my heart ached for him. With so many strangers around, I could only imagine how scared he must have been. Someone must've called the cops while I was busy destroying everything, but honestly, if they hadn't, I would have. Vivien was nowhere to be seen, and Frederic had stepped in to hold back the elderly woman who'd tried to hit me while I was smashing things. He looked totally lost.

I knew Frederic had always been close to Vivien. She'd been working away for years and had helped him out with his schooling. But I never expected him to cover for her like this, especially when she was so clearly in the wrong.

The police took in the scene, then asked, "Where are the kidnappers?"

A bystander pointed straight at me. "It's her! Just look at the place! She's the one who did all this!"

Frederic immediately jumped in front of me, trying to explain, "No, no, it's a misunderstanding. We're not kidnappers!"

The elderly woman, shaking with rage, pointed at the wrecked furniture. "She broke everything! She should be the one to pay for it!"

The officer looked at her, then asked, "Are you the homeowner? Come with us to the station. We need everyone involved."

Two officers approached me. I pointed at the anxious woman nearby. "Officer, they took my son. That's why I broke everything."

The officers exchanged a look, realizing this was no ordinary disturbance, it looked more like a potential abduction. The lead officer ordered, "Take everyone to the station!"

At the station, Frederic and I were seated together, and Vivien was brought in too. The officer turned to the woman holding Norris and asked, "How do you prove this is your child?"

I pulled out my phone and showed him our marriage certificate, Norris's birth certificate, our family registry, and several photos. The officer examined them all carefully before shooting a glare at the elderly woman and the woman holding Norris.

"Tell me what's going on. Be honest."

I took Norris from the woman's arms. Holding him in my arms helped me calm down, but I couldn't relax for long. He'd be hungry soon, and I needed to get him out of here.

The woman glanced at Vivien, clearly looking for some backup. Then, the old woman suddenly stood up, pointing at Vivien. "It's her! She brought the child here!"

I turned to the officer, urgency in my voice. "Officer, my husband's here. He can handle the paperwork. I just need to take my son home."

The officer nodded, and I rushed out, heading straight for the country house with Norris. After he woke up, I fed him some baby food, and he seemed to calm down when he saw me. I sat beside his bed, holding his hand, guilt gnawing at me.

Emeline showed up later, her relief palpable when she heard Norris was fine. But then she remembered something and glared at me.

"How could you wreck their house and get Vivien detained? Why couldn't you just handle this quietly?"

She must have talked to Frederic.

"Mom, Vivien lent Norris for a birthday party, that's bad enough. And they didn't take care of him! We're lucky he's okay."

Emeline didn't back down. "Well, at least he's fine now! Frederic told me you're pressing charges against that family."

I didn't answer right away. Yes, I was pressing charges.

"If you press charges, Vivien will be the one stuck with the bill for the damages! I've already talked to Frederic, let's just settle this. They won't go after Vivien, and they won't demand compensation. We can just move on."

I stayed silent. But deep down, I knew I couldn't let this go.