Chapter 7 - The Secret That Lay Beneath

The restaurant manager quietly walked over, accompanied by two uniformed police officers whom I had requested to follow me after the hospital check-in.

"Mrs. Claire Vance?" the lead officer asked, showing his badge. "We need you to step outside regarding a child endangerment and criminal negligence report."

Claire began weeping loudly, looking around frantically for anyone to back her up. But for the first time in ten years, not a single member of our family stood to defend her.