Chapter 4: The Trap
Elena had recovered her composure. She was already on the phone, calling her brother, whispering plans to spin the narrative, to claim Arthur had attacked her and that she needed to get the kids to safety. She walked back into the kitchen, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.
"Arthur, let’s talk about this. I understand you're stressed. Let me take the baby, and we can discuss whatever—"
"The police are already on their way, Elena," Arthur said, not looking up from the screen.
Elena froze. "What?"
"Not because I called them about you," Arthur lied smoothly, his voice devoid of emotion. "I called them because I discovered the fraud. The bank noticed the irregularities in the joint account. They traced the IP addresses. They're on their way to arrest you for embezzlement, forgery, and neglect."
It was a bluff, but a brilliant one. Elena’s face crumbled. The arrogance evaporated, replaced by a desperate, snarling fury. "You can't prove anything! That little brat—" She lunged at Lily, her facade completely shattered, her claws out.
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Before she could reach the child, the front door burst open. It wasn't just the police. It was the neighbor, Mrs. Gable, who had seen Elena acting aggressively in the driveway earlier that day and had been alerted by Arthur’s text. But more importantly, Arthur had already been in contact with his lawyer, who was standing right behind the officers.
Elena stopped, her chest heaving, the "perfect wife" costume now hanging off her like a cheap rag. She looked at the officers, then at the camera Lily had hidden in the kitchen cabinet—another piece of evidence she hadn't known about.
