Chapter 7 - The Reckoning

I hit play.
The room went dead silent, save for the video audio.
On the screen, in crystal-clear definition, Vivian crushed Emma’s prescription pills under her shoe. She deliberately threw broken glass near Emma's bare feet. She held tiny baby Oliver high in the air, smiling maliciously while Emma sobbed on the floor, pleading for her child.
"Oliver is crying because his mother is weak and useless... Get down and clean every piece. Then you can hold him."
My father stared at the video, his mouth open in complete horror. The color vanished from his skin. He looked at the screen, then looked at Vivian, his eyes wide with absolute betrayal.
"Vivian..." Richard whispered, his voice cracking. "You... you did this? To our daughter-in-law? To our grandson?"
"Richard, listen to me!" Vivian panicked, grabbing my father’s arm. "She pushed me! She made me do it! She’s trying to steal Leo from us—"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Richard roared, shoving Vivian’s hand away so hard her wine glass overturned, spilling dark red wine across the white tablecloth like blood.
Richard stood up, his body shaking violently. "You told me she attacked you! You swore on God’s name that Emma was insane! You made me accuse my own son!"
"Richard, please!" Vivian cried, the mask completely destroyed now. She looked pathetic, frantic, and wild.
"And that's not all, Vivian," I said coldly, pointing to the ceiling corner of the restaurant room.
Vivian looked up. A small green light was blinking on a camera mounted in the corner.
"When I booked this private room," I said, leaning in close, "I paid the management to record the entire dinner. Furthermore, I am currently running a Facebook Live stream from my phone right here."
Vivian’s eyes bulged out of her head. "WHAT?!"
I lifted my phone. Over 45,000 people were currently watching the live stream on my account, tagged directly to Vivian’s viral post. The comment section was moving so fast it was a blur:
"MONSTER! Absolute psychopathic monster!"
"I watched her live stream yesterday thinking she was a victim! She belongs in prison!"
"Calling Child Protective Services and Police right now!"
May you like
"Expose her! Save that baby!"
"You wanted public attention, Mom," I said, my voice echoing in the room. "Now you have it."