I ignored her.
My phone was still in my pocket.
I pulled it out.
Ryan stepped toward me for the first time since his mother had grabbed my hair.
“Who are you calling?”
I looked at him.
“My lawyer.”
The room went silent.
It was almost fascinating how quickly Ryan reacted once the consequences belonged to him.
His shoulders straightened. “Sarah, don’t be ridiculous.”
I unlocked my phone.
Linda scoffed. “A lawyer? Over a family disagreement?”
I looked at her. “You dragged me across the floor.”
“You were trying to leave with my property.”
“I didn’t take anything.”
Ryan stepped between us, palms raised. “Everybody needs to stop.”
I almost laughed.
“Now you want everyone to stop?”
His face tightened. “That’s not what I meant.”
“No, I know exactly what you meant.”
I found my attorney’s contact in my phone. I had worked with her two years earlier when we bought a small investment property, and though she wasn’t a divorce attorney, I knew she would know who I needed to call.
Ryan saw the name on my screen.
“Sarah.”
I pressed call.
“Don’t do this.”
I put the phone to my ear.
He moved closer. “We can talk about this at home.”
I stepped away from him. “I’m not going home with you.”
His expression faltered.
That was the first time he seemed to understand I was serious.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
I started walking toward the front door.
Behind me, Linda began talking rapidly.
“She’s being dramatic. Ryan, let her go. She’ll come back when she realizes how ridiculous she looks.”
I kept walking.
My attorney answered.
“Sarah? Hi. Is everything okay?”
I opened my mouth to respond.
Before I could say a word, footsteps pounded down the staircase.
“Aunt Sarah, wait!”
I stopped.
Everyone turned.
Emily came running into the living room with her phone in one hand and something bright clenched in the other.
At first I didn’t understand what I was looking at.
Then she opened her palm.
Diamonds flashed beneath the ceiling light.
