Chapter 14 - The Confrontation in the Visiting Room
A week after her arrest, Brooke sent a frantic, handwritten note through her court-appointed public defender, begging me to visit her in the detention center. She claimed she had 'important information' about Ethan and my business that could save me from a 'massive mistake.'
I decided to go, not out of weakness or curiosity, but because I wanted to look her in the eye one last time before the trial began.
I sat in the same visitor’s booth where I had spoken to Dad. The thick Plexiglas barrier felt like a monument to our severed bloodline. A moment later, Brooke was led into the booth by a female guard. Her designer hair extensions were gone, her face was devoid of makeup, and her orange jumpsuit was wrinkled and stained.
She picked up the receiver with trembling hands, pressing it against her ear. I picked up mine.
'Claire! You have to help me!' Brooke sobbed instantly, her voice high-pitched and frantic. 'They’re saying I murdered Mom! They’re saying I’ll spend the rest of my life behind bars! You’re my sister—you can’t let them do this to me!'
'You murdered our mother, Brooke,' I said, my voice completely devoid of emotion. 'And you tried to murder me on my wedding day because I wouldn't buy you a ninety-thousand-dollar luxury SUV.'
'It was a joke! A misunderstanding!' she shrieked, slamming her fist against the glass partition. 'Mom was annoying! She was going to ruin everything for us! And you—you were always stealing the spotlight! You deserved what you got!'
Her mask had slipped completely. The screaming, entitled child was gone, replaced by a cold, remorseless sociopath who felt no remorse for taking a life.
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'Enjoy your time in isolation, Brooke,' I said softly, resting my hand against the cold glass. 'The trial starts in October. I’ll make sure I have the best seat in the courtroom.'
I hung up the receiver, turned my back on her hysterical screams, and walked out of the detention center into the bright, warm sunlight.
