Chapter 4 - The Family Backlash
By Tuesday evening, the news of Sofia’s arrest had exploded through our family group chats, text chains, and local social media circles with the destructive force of a wildfire.
My phone rang incessantly until I finally turned it off.
When I powered it back on an hour later, my screen was flooded with fifty-two missed calls and eighty-nine text messages.
My mother, Helen, had sent a barrage of voice notes, her voice cracking with hysterical rage: “Elena, have you lost your absolute mind?! Your sister is on her honeymoon—or she was, until the police dragged her out of a hotel in handcuffs! How could you do this to your own flesh and blood over a silly wedding mishap?! Call the police right now and tell them you made it up!”
Even my aunt Sarah chimed in: “A family is supposed to protect each other, Elena. You’ve humiliated Sofia in front of her new husband’s entire high-society circle. You owe her a massive apology.”
The only person who didn't condemn me was my cousin Daniel.
At 7:00 PM, a quiet knock echoed at my apartment door. When I looked through the peephole, I saw Daniel standing alone in the hallway holding a takeout bag of Thai food and a bottle of wine.
I unlocked the door and pulled him inside.
"Are you holding up okay?" Daniel asked softly, setting the food on the kitchen counter.
"I’m exhausted, Daniel," I admitted, rubbing my temples where a mild tension headache still lingered. "My mother has called me a monster five times today. She genuinely believes I ruined Sofia’s life because I didn't smile while my scalp was being impaled."
Daniel pulled out a chair and sat down across from me. "Your mother has enabled Sofia’s cruelty since we were kids, Elena. Whenever Sofia broke something, stole something, or humiliated someone, Aunt Helen always said, 'You know how your sister is.' They built a monster, and now that the monster finally bit someone too hard, they're furious at the victim for bleeding."
"The police found the receipt," I told him quietly. "She custom-ordered the steel spikes from a fabrication shop in Newark three weeks before the wedding. It wasn't a prank, Daniel. She intended to hurt me."
Daniel’s face hardened into a mask of pure shock and disgust. "Good God. I knew she was selfish, but... custom-ordering spikes? That’s psychopathic."
"She’s currently out on $50,000 bail posted by Gregory’s wealthy parents," I sighed. "And her defense attorney is already preparing a motion to dismiss, claiming it was an overblown sibling prank."
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"Not if we have anything to say about it," Daniel said, his eyes flashing with sudden determination. "You aren't dropping this charges, right?"
"Never," I said. "For the first time in my life, I am not going to let them sweep the violence under the rug to keep the peace."
