Chapter 6 - Unmasking the Monsters
van stared at the white urn, his face losing all color. His breath hitched in his throat as
his brain struggled to process the physical reality of what he was seeing. He dropped his
bags, the expensive gifts scattering across the hardwood floor. "No... no, that’s not... Maya, please tell
me this is some kind of sick joke."
"He stopped breathing ten minutes after you shut the front door," I said, my voice dead,
completely stripped of any emotion. "He had a severe RSV infection that triggered acute respiratory
distress syndrome. Because your mother stole my phone and you both abandoned us, I had to run
through a midnight storm to save him. His heart stopped twice in the ambulance."
"Oh, stop exaggerating!" Patricia chimed in, though her voice trembled slightly as she looked at
the urn. "You’re trying to blame us for a medical tragedy. Babies get sick, Maya. It’s a tragedy, yes, but
you cannot hold us responsible for an illness!"
"He didn't die, Patricia," I said, looking her dead in the eye. A cold, terrifying smile touched my
lips. "The doctors saved him. Noah is alive. He is in the pediatric ICU on a ventilator, fighting for his
life. But as far as you and your son are concerned, he is dead. And you are the ones who killed your
relationship with him."
Evan let out a ragged sob of relief, falling to his knees, but I stepped back, avoiding his
outstretched hands. "Do not touch me, Evan. Do not ever touch me again."
"Maya, I’m so sorry," Evan wept, his face pressed against the floor. "I didn't know... I trusted my
mother. She said you were just stressed..."
"You are a thirty-two-year-old corporate attorney, Evan," I whispered, looking down at him with
pure disgust. "You chose to believe a liar because it was easier than standing up to her. You chose a
luxury vacation over your newborn son's life. You used my money to fund your trip while my son’s
lungs were collapsing."
Patricia tried to regain her composure, stepping forward defensively. "Now see here, Maya! You
cannot talk to my son like that! We are a family, and we will get through this together. We will pay you
back for the credit card charges—"
"You won't pay me back, Patricia," I said calmly. "Because every single asset you think you have is
gone. And the police are already on their way."
The Price of a Sunset 6
May you like
J
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