My grandson called me from the police station at 2:47 a.m., choking back tears: “Grandma, my stepmother says I made her fall and Dad believes every word she says, he doesn’t believe me,” but when I arrived the officer saw me, froze, went pale and whispered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know who you were,” and from that moment my family was forced to face the truth.

Chelsea’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you implying?” she asked.

“Nothing. Only that a child generally tells the truth when he is scared.”

Chelsea let out a dry laugh.

“Oh, Elellanena. Always so dramatic. Just like your grandson. I guess it runs in the family. But it doesn’t matter anymore, does it? Because you’re going to sign those papers. You’re going to stay in this apartment until nature takes its course, and Ethan will learn his lesson in a place where they teach real discipline.”

“Chelsea,” Gerald said in a low voice, like a warning.

But she was on a roll. I could see how the power had gone to her head.

“What?” she snapped at Gerald. “It’s the truth. This old woman is finished. Look at her. Sick, alone, defeated. She should have accepted this from the beginning. It would have saved me so much trouble.”

“Trouble?” I asked, feigning naivety.

“Yes. Trouble,” Chelsea replied, leaning back on the armchair like a queen on her throne. “Do you have any idea how much effort it cost me to make Rob forget about you? Every birthday he forgot, every call he didn’t answer, every visit he didn’t make. All planned. All perfectly executed.”

Rob looked at her, surprised.

“What did you say?” he asked.

“Oh, please, honey,” Chelsea said, giving him a look. “Don’t act surprised. You knew perfectly well that I managed your schedule, that I decided who you spent time with and who you didn’t.”

“I thought…” Rob hesitated. “I thought you were just helping me get better organized.”

“Oh, Rob. So naive.” Chelsea laughed. “I was keeping you away from this woman because she was a nuisance. And it worked, didn’t it? Now you can’t even stand her.”

I watched something break in my son’s eyes, like a veil falling.

Gerald quickly intervened, standing up.

“Chelsea, I think we should focus on the documents.”

“Sit down, Gerald,” Chelsea ordered without looking at him. “I’m talking.”

He obeyed, but I saw the nervousness on his face. He knew Chelsea was losing control.

“Do you know what the best part of all this is, Elellanena?” Chelsea continued. “That when you finally die—and believe me, with that heart of yours, it won’t be long—we’re going to sell this hovel for $4,500,000. I already have a buyer, an investor who wants to remodel the whole building.”