Chapter 15 - THE SECOND VERSION“Lila was upset.”
Marissa folded her hands.
“I was feeding her lunch.”
Vivian waited.
“Miles entered the room angry.”
“Why was he angry?”
“I don’t know.”
Miles stared at her.
Marissa continued.
“He shouted at me. I tried to calm him.”
Vivian asked:
“Where were your hands?”
Marissa hesitated.
“One held the spoon.”
“And the other?”
“I don’t remember.”
Miles looked at his mother.
He remembered perfectly.
Vivian did not react.
“What happened next?”
“Miles pushed me without warning.”
Miles’s jaw clenched.
Marissa added:
“I fell.”
“Then?”
“He grabbed Lila.”
“I hugged her!”
Marissa looked toward him.
Vivian raised one finger.
Miles stopped.
Marissa continued.
“He frightened her more.”
Miles felt heat rise in his face.
Vivian asked:
“What did you say to Miles?”
“After?”
“Yes.”
“I told him his parents would be disappointed.”
Miles stared.
That was new.
Vivian asked:
“Did you ask who would believe him?”
Marissa blinked.
“I don’t remember.”
Vivian’s voice remained even.
“I do.”
Marissa’s face changed.
Vivian continued.
“You said, ‘You think your parents would believe a little kid like you?’”
Silence.
“You were behind me?”
“Yes.”
Marissa looked toward Graham.
He looked down.
Vivian asked:
“Why would you say that?”
“I was upset.”
“You had just been pushed.”
“Yes.”
“Yet Miles says you said similar things before.”
“He lies.”
Caroline stiffened.
Marissa realized too late how harshly it sounded.
She corrected.
“He exaggerates.”
Vivian asked:
“About boarding school?”
Marissa went pale.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Miles leaned forward.
“You told me they’d send me away.”
“I never said that.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No.”
Dana spoke.
“I heard you once.”
Everyone turned.
Marissa stared.
Dana continued.
“You told him wealthy families don’t tolerate embarrassing children.”
Marissa’s face tightened.
“That was a joke.”
Miles whispered:
“I didn’t think it was funny.”
Caroline reached for his hand.
Marissa looked toward Graham again.
Vivian saw it.
“Why do you keep looking at my son?”
Marissa froze.
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
Graham shifted.
“Mother, this is becoming theatrical.”
Vivian turned her eyes toward him.
“Why are you answering questions I asked Marissa?”
Nobody breathed.
Graham leaned back.
“I’m trying to keep this reasonable.”
“Reasonable?”
“Yes.”
Vivian’s gaze remained fixed.
“You disabled cameras in a house where a woman you paid was creating records about your nephew.”
Graham’s face hardened.
“I already explained that.”
Marissa looked at him.
“You said you’d handle this.”
Graham turned.
“What?”
The room changed.
Marissa realized she had exposed their communication.
Graham’s expression became furious.
Vivian said nothing.
Marissa tried to recover.
“I mean before. When he said the family would be fair.”
Graham laughed once.
“Don’t involve me in your lies.”
Marissa’s composure broke.
“My lies?”
“Yes.”
“You told me—”
“Be careful.”
Marissa stared.
And Vivian knew the alliance was over.
Exactly as intended.
She turned to Colin.
“Now.”
Colin placed a tablet on the table.
Vivian looked at Marissa.
“There is no video of the dining-room incident.”
Marissa’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
Vivian continued.
“But there is other evidence.”
She touched the screen.
A timeline appeared.
Camera disabled.
Nursery alerts muted.
Game-room lock approved.
Household access granted.
Payments made.
Graham’s face went white.
Marissa stared.
Vivian said:
“You both assumed the absence of a picture meant the absence of a record.”
She looked at Miles.
May you like
Then back at them.
“That was your second mistake.”
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