Justice Served

Arthur: "Get out."

Chloe: "Arthur, please! We can go to marriage counseling! I'll take anger management classes! Don't throw away our marriage over a mistake!"

Arthur: "This was no mistake. It was your true nature. You didn't marry me because you loved me or my son. You wanted my family estate and my wealth."

Chloe: "You can't just kick me out in the street! My clothes, my jewelry, my personal items are upstairs!"

Arthur: "You have five minutes to take your purse and walk out that front door. My legal team is filing a restraining order and a petition for annulment within the hour."

Outside, sirens began to wail in the distance, growing louder as emergency vehicles turned down the long driveway toward the mansion gates.

Chloe: "Who called the police?!"

Arthur: "I did. From the plane. I reported child abuse and felony assault."

Chloe: "You bastard! I'll sue you for everything you have! I'll ruin your reputation in this town!"

Arthur: "Try it. When the press sees the video of you dragging a crying toddler on a leash, your social life in Dallas will be completely destroyed."

Two police officers stepped through the open front doors, their handguns holstered but their faces stern as they assessed the situation inside the foyer.

Officer: "Mr. Vance? We received a distress call regarding domestic assault and child neglect."

Arthur: "Officer, thank you for arriving so quickly. The suspect is my wife, Chloe Vance. I have video evidence of her assaulting my house staff and putting my two-year-old son in direct physical danger."

Officer: "Ma'am, step away from the gentleman and put your hands behind your back."

Chloe: "Don't touch me! Do you know who my father is?! You can't arrest me!"

The officer stepped forward, pulling Chloe's wrists behind her back and snapping the steel handcuffs around her wrists with a sharp, heavy click. Chloe screamed in outrage, kicking her heels against the polished marble as she was led out the door into the bright daylight she had tried to lock Toby away from.

Maria stood in the kitchen doorway, holding little Toby wrapped tightly in his blanket. The boy's fever was already dropping under the warm care, and his small hand reached out toward his father. Arthur walked over, wrapping his arms around both of them, swearing to protect his home and his family from cruelty forever.