Chapter 4 - The Counter-Attack
Three weeks later, Evelyn and Chloe managed to secure temporary bail through an elite, predatory bail bondsman who took a high-interest lien against Chloe’s second car. Upon their release, instead of repenting, Evelyn’s hatred for Maya reached an all-time high. She convinced herself that Maya was the mastermind who had manipulated David into turning against his own mother.
Unable to access David’s money or apartment, Evelyn and Chloe moved into a cheap, run-down motel on the outskirts of Queens. Desperate to turn the tide of public opinion and avoid prison, Evelyn hired a slimy, tabloid-hungry defense lawyer named Richard Vance (no relation to Mark).
Vance organized an emergency press conference outside the Manhattan Criminal Court building.
Standing before a swarm of reporters, Evelyn squeezed out fake tears, clutching a handkerchief while Chloe stood beside her holding a framed, old photograph of David as a child.
"My son, David, has been brainwashed by his wife, Maya!" Evelyn cried dramatically into the microphones. "Maya has always been jealous of our close mother-son bond! She intentionally staged those videos! She deliberately didn't eat the abundance of fresh food we left for her just so she could make herself look like a victim when David returned! She wanted to destroy our family and steal my son’s fortune for herself!"
Attorney Vance stepped forward, holding up a sleek tablet. "We are filing a formal countersuit against Maya Miller for defamation, emotional abuse of an elderly family member, and financial extortion. We are also petitioning Child Protective Services to examine the environment Mrs. Miller created for baby Liam before framing my clients!"
The story immediately made headlines across gossip blogs: "MOTHER-IN-LAW FIGHTS BACK: CLAIMS POSTPARTUM WIFE STAGED STARVATION TO DESTROY FAMILY."
Online trolls and opportunistic shock-jock podcasters began picking up the narrative, questioning whether Maya had played a role in escalating the conflict. The digital harassment campaign against Maya grew vicious. Anonymous accounts flooded her dormant social media pages with hateful messages, calling her a gold-digger and a manipulator.
In their hospital room, David watched the press conference on television. His eyes narrowed to sharp slits.
"They just don't know when to stop," David whispered softly.
He didn't make a angry public statement. He didn't engage in a media mudslinging contest. Instead, David called his lead corporate investigator, a former FBI cyber-crimes specialist named Marcus.
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"Marcus," David said into the receiver. "It's time to dig into my mother's and Mark's financial records for the last five years. Every bank account, every offshore transfer, every tax filing related to the family shell companies Mark created. I want everything."
"I’m already on it, David," Marcus replied. "And you won't believe what we just uncovered in Mark’s encrypted hard drives."
