Brenda: Be quiet! Stop crying this instant! You are making a ridiculous scene in front of everyone!
Lily: Mommy, please! It hurts! Stop cutting it! Please, I want my daddy!
Brenda: Your daddy isn't coming to save you, Lily! He thinks he can buy your affection with high-end clothes and private school tuition, but he doesn't own you! I am your mother!
Lily: You're mean! You're hurting me! Help! Somebody please help me!
Brenda gritted her teeth, her knuckles turning white as she forced the heavy blades through another thick lock of auburn hair near Lily’s temple. The scissors made a sickening, jagged crunching noise. Big, fat tears rolled continuously down Lily’s flushed cheeks, soaking the collar of her yellow cotton dress. She covered her face with her tiny hands, shaking uncontrollably as her locks piled up around her small shoes.
Outside the classroom glass, Martha’s hands shook as she held her smartphone steady. She recorded the scene for ten frantic seconds before hitting send on a direct text message to Marcus Vance, Lily’s father and a prominent Dallas corporate attorney.
Martha: Mr. Vance, you need to look at this right now! Brenda is inside room 104 with heavy scissors! She is cutting Lily’s hair against her will!
Miles away, inside the VIP arrival terminal at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Marcus Vance was walking briskly alongside his senior legal partner, holding a leather briefcase. His phone vibrated violently in his palm. He looked down, saw the video clip from Martha, and his face instantly turned pale before flushing with pure, unadulterated rage.
Marcus: Get the car around right now! Screw the luggage! We are going directly to Oak Creek Elementary!
Driver: Sir, traffic on the interstate is completely backed up right now. It might take thirty minutes—
Marcus: I don't give a damn about the traffic! Put the emergency lights on or drive on the shoulder! My daughter is in danger!
Back in the classroom, Brenda grabbed another handful of hair near the back of Lily’s neck. The child was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, her chest heaving violently with every ragged breath.
Brenda: Look at you. Look at this mess. You look just like his side of the family now. Maybe now he’ll see that he can't control everything with his vast fortune and his high-priced divorce lawyers.
Lily: I hate you! I want my daddy! Daddy, please come get me!
Brenda: Keep crying! Your father is in New York attending his multi-million dollar corporate merger. He doesn't care about your haircut, Lily. He only cares about himself!
Brenda lifted the metallic blades once more, aiming right near the child's scalp. The metallic glint of the scissors hovered dangerously close to Lily's delicate ear. Lily closed her eyes tight, waiting for the harsh snap of the metal blades once again.
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