“I’ve seen enough.”
“You haven’t seen anything,” Evan said.
He stood up.
“You think you can walk in here and take over?
I’m Lily’s father.
I have rights.
If you push this, I’ll file for full custody tomorrow morning.
I’ll tell the court Emily is mentally unfit.
I have witnesses.”
He looked at Gloria.
“Tell her.”
Gloria didn’t speak.
“Mom,” Evan said.
“Tell her Emily has problems.
Tell her.”
Gloria’s mouth opened, then closed.
“Say something!” Evan shouted.
“You b*rned her,” Gloria said quietly.
The room stopped.
Evan’s face twisted.
“What?”
“I saw you.
In the kitchen.
Three weeks ago.
You held the lighter to her arm because the baby wouldn’t stop crying and you said she should shut it up.”
Evan’s jaw tightened.
“That’s not what happened.”
“I was standing in the hallway,” Gloria said.
“I saw it.”
“You’re my mother,” Evan said.
“You’re supposed to—”
“I’m supposed to what?
Watch you do what your father did to me?”
Emily’s head came up.
Gloria looked at her.
“I should have stopped him.
I should have stopped your father.
I didn’t.
And then I raised a son just like him, and I didn’t stop that either.”
“That’s enough,” Evan said.
His voice had changed.
“Both of you.
This is over.”
“No,” I said.
“It’s just starting.”
I turned to Emily.
“Did you document this?”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.
“Every night.
Since the second time.
Audio recordings.
The dates, the times, what he said, what he did.”
“How many?”
“Over two hundred.”
Evan lunged across the table.
“Give me that phone—”
