Chapter 6 - The Breaking Point
"Practical sense?" Avery’s voice shook, but the initial wave of grief crystallized instantly into a terrifying, razor-sharp clarity. "You're telling me you agreed to hand our two-week-old infant over to your mother behind my back without uttering a single word to me?"
"You're making a scene," Ethan hissed under his breath, stepping forward and reaching out to snatch her forearm in a coercive grip.
Before his fingers could even graze her skin, Grant materialized from the crowd. With a powerful shove, he planted his heavy hand squarely on Ethan’s chest, sending his younger brother stumbling backward into the doorframe.
"Don't put your hands on her, Ethan," Grant warned, his voice vibrating with a quiet, suppressed fury that terrified everyone in the hallway.
Brenda’s mask of serene authority shattered instantly, replaced by venomous hatred. "Grant, stay out of this! You already ruined your own family, don't come in here meddling in your brother's business!"
"I'm meddling because I remember what you did to Sarah!" Grant shouted back, his jaw locked so tight the muscles bulged. He turned to face the stunned guests, exposing the rot at the core of the family. "She did the exact same thing to my ex-wife! She whispered in my ear that Sarah wasn't fit, took over my daughter's feeding schedules, locked Sarah out of her own baby's life, and manipulated me into choosing her until Sarah finally broke and fled, taking Callie with her! You don't want to help, Mother. You just want a child you can completely control!"
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A collective gasp echoed down the corridor. The illusion of the perfect, loving matriarch dissolved into ash.
Brenda’s face twisted into an ugly, sneering mask. "I held this family together! Without me, neither of you would have anything! Avery, give me that child right now. Ethan signed the temporary guardianship papers yesterday afternoon!"
