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He closes his eyes.
He didn’t cry.
He was still too used to thinking that the real pain was what made Margaret uncomfortable.
Mayor Reeves connected a tablet to the solarium screen.
The video appeared.
Not edited.
With time.
With audio.
With Margaret lifting the black necklace under the chandelier. Personalized necklaces
The bell rang again.
This time no one laughed.
The screen showed the faces of the guests.
The laughter.
Margaret’s gesture approaching.
My voice saying:
“Please save it.”
Yours answering:
“It wasn’t cheap.”
Then his hand towards June.
My step back.
My daughter’s crying.
And Wesley calling it a bad joke.
The recording ended.
The solarium was colder than the marble.
Margaret pursed her lips.
—I didn’t know he was recording.
—That doesn’t help either —Eleanor said.
The social worker spoke calmly.
—The video shows deliberate humiliation of a newborn, pressure on the mother, dismissal of parental boundaries and an attempt at non-consensual contact. Confidential issues
—It also shows that the father did not intervene sufficiently.
Wesley raised his head.
That part did hit him.
—I tried…
—You murmured maybe enough is enough —said.