Chapter 4 - The Poison of the Vance Family
By midnight, the grand Vance estate had become an active crime scene.
Local police cruisers had joined the federal vehicles outside. Arthur Vance was sitting in the back of a federal transport van, while Evelyn Vance was sitting on her velvet sofa in handcuffs, surrounded by officers.
My husband, Julian—Arthur and Evelyn’s son—finally arrived home from his business trip, pulling his sedan into the crowded driveway with tires screeching.
He burst into the house, his tie loose, his face pale with panic. "What is going on here?! Mom! Dad!"
Evelyn looked at her son, her face twisting into a pathetic mask of tears. "Julian! Thank God you're here! Your insane wife brought federal agents into our home! They put handcuffs on your father! They're accusing us of horrific things!"
Julian turned to me, his eyes wide with confusion. "Clara... what did you do? Why are the police here?"
I walked up to Julian, standing inches from his face. I didn't yell. My voice was colder than ice.
"Your parents tranquilized Maya’s service dog," I said, pointing to the evidence bags sitting on the foyer table. "They locked him in Arthur’s study to sell him. Then your mother prepared a bowl of dark meat, sat our eleven-year-old daughter at the table, and told her she was eating her own dog."
Julian stared at me, then looked at his mother. "Mom... tell me that's a lie."
Evelyn scoffed, pulling her chin up with disgusting arrogance. "That animal was costing us thousands in medical upkeep! And your daughter relies on it far too much! She’s weak, Julian! We were trying to make her strong! We were trying to teach her that in this family, only the strong survive!"
Julian looked at his mother as if seeing her for the very first time in his life. The veil of filial obedience he had worn for thirty years shattered into a million pieces.
"You're sick," Julian whispered, his voice trembling with horror. "You are absolute monsters."
"Julian!" Evelyn barked. "Control your wife! Tell these officers to leave!"
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Julian took a slow step back, reaching into his pocket, pulling out his set of house keys, and dropping them onto the marble floor at his mother’s feet.
"I don't have a mother anymore," Julian said coldly.
