Chapter 4 - THE MEDIATION
Terrified of Vanessa facing felony burglary charges, Linda demanded an emergency mediation session. She sat across from me in a sterile conference room, her eyes ice-cold, offering a twisted compromise: she would drop the probate lawsuit if I surrendered the house and dropped the criminal charges against Vanessa. I looked at the woman who had choked me against a wall for a piece of jewelry. I finally understood Grandma’s letter. I slid my laptop forward, hit play on the kitchen extortion video, and watched my mother’s arrogant, untouchable facade shatter into absolute panic.
