Chapter 4 - THE UNINVITED SONThree weeks later, Margaret was planning a Mediterranean cruise when the intercom buzzed.
"Ms. Thorne," Mateo said carefully, "there's a gentleman downstairs claiming to be your son."
Margaret froze.
"David?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Send him up."
She paused.
"And have security nearby."
Ten minutes later, someone knocked.
Margaret opened the door.
She almost didn't recognize him.
David looked exhausted.
His designer clothes hung loosely from his body. His eyes were bloodshot. His face had lost its color.
"Mom."
Margaret said nothing.
"I drove twelve hours."
Silence.
"I slept in my car."
Margaret's expression remained unreadable.
"Why?"
David's voice broke.
"Jessica left."
He told her everything.
The police had begun asking questions.
Jessica had panicked.
She had emptied their remaining joint account.
Then she disappeared with another man.
David had been left with unpaid rent, debt and nowhere to sleep.
Finally, he whispered:
"Mom... please let me stay here."
Margaret looked at her son.
She remembered him as a little boy.
The scraped knees.
The school plays.
The nights she had stayed awake when he was sick.
She remembered every sacrifice.
Then she remembered him standing silently while Jessica pushed her out of her own home.
Her heart hurt.
But compassion could no longer erase consequences.
"No."
David stared at her.
May you like
"Mom?"
"You made your choice."
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