Chloe: I did what was necessary for this family! You were too soft to handle her finances!
Mark: You stole her life savings! You stole her dignity! And you tortured her while I was at work!
Chloe: You think anyone will believe her over me? She's eighty-two, Mark! Who are the police going to believe?
Mark: They're going to believe the security cameras I installed in the living room last week.
The sudden air in the living room seemed to vanish instantly. Chloe froze mid-breath, her face turning completely pale, all the color draining from her lips. She stared at Mark in horror as he pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and tapped the screen twice.
Chloe: Security... cameras? You installed cameras?
Mark: I put a motion-activated camera right inside the decorative clock on the wall over there. I was worried about home break-ins while I was at work.
Chloe: Mark... wait... let's talk about this privately...
Mark: Talk privately? I have every single second of what you just did saved on cloud storage in high definition video!
Evelyn: Mark... is it true? Is there a recording?
Mark: Yes, Mom. Everything is recorded. Her slapping you, pulling your hair, starving you—it's all right here on my phone.
Chloe: Mark, please! Delete it! I was stressed, I lost my temper! I swear I'll never do it again!
Mark: Stress? You don't pull an old woman's hair because of stress! You do it because you are a monster!
Chloe: If you show that to anyone, it will ruin my life! My career, my reputation, everything will be destroyed!
Mark: You destroyed your own life the second you put your hands on my mother!
Chloe dropped her defense, dropping to her knees on the floor, attempting to reach for Mark's hands in desperation. But Mark took three steps back, looking down at her with pure disgust. Evelyn sat on the couch now, wrapped in a blanket Mark had quickly retrieved for her, holding her warm bowl of soup with small, hesitant sips.
Chloe: Mark, we've been married for three years! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!
Mark: The woman sitting on that couch gave me life, worked three jobs to raise me, and gave us her home's equity so we could live here. You mean nothing to me anymore.
Chloe: Please, Mark! I'm begging you! Don't call the police!
Mark: I'm not just calling the police, Chloe. I'm calling my family lawyer, filing for an emergency divorce, and pressing full criminal charges for felony elder abuse and grand theft!
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