Chapter 7 - Margaret Strikes BackFor three hours, Clara told us everything.
She had spent six years wondering where her daughter was.
She had cried alone.
She had kept photographs hidden in a box.
She had never stopped loving her.
James apologized to me.
He apologized for the gala.
For believing Margaret.
For leaving.
Then we made a plan.
Lily would meet Clara.
We would explain the truth gradually.
And Noah would receive the medical testing he desperately needed.
But Margaret wasn't finished.
That night she called Child Protective Services.
She accused me of abusing Lily.
She accused James of alcoholism.
She accused Clara of drug abuse.
She manufactured photographs.
Forged documents.
Invented police reports.
The next morning, CPS arrived.
Lily was interviewed privately.
When the social worker returned, she looked directly at Margaret.
“Lily told us her grandmother pushed her.”
Margaret's face fell.
“She also told us she feels safe with her mother and father.”
The lies began collapsing.
Then Richard stood.
“Pack your things.”
Margaret stared at him.
May you like
“Where am I supposed to go?”
“Anywhere but here.”
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