Chapter 2Only The Mother Knew The Script

Tristan scrambled away, practically crawling.

He even forgot his designer high-tops.

The Feed was a scene of collective grief and bewilderment.

【I swear! My yandere hero just got scared off like a puppy? Character assassination!】

【What in God’s name is this mom’s background? She’s brutal! I thought she was going to murder him right there.】

【NGL, that was kind of hot? Psycho vs. Psycho?】

I didn't care about The Feed, nor did I bother to chase Tristan.

I knew he would be back.

A narcissist and obsessive like him, whose ego was his universe, would never accept this humiliation. He would return for an amplified, vicious revenge.

I shut the broken door, wedged the heavy sofa against it, and turned to hold my still-shaking daughter.

“It’s alright, Maya. You’re safe. Mom’s here.”

Maya buried her face in my shoulder and burst into deep, heart-wrenching sobs. Her body was fluttering like a leaf in an autumn storm.

“Mom… I’m so scared… He… he wasn’t like this…”

I knew exactly what she meant.

In the original narrative, Tristan first appeared as Maya’s “savior.”

Because of my own supposed “high-pressure parenting,” Maya was shy and insecure. When she was bullied at school, Tristan stepped in to protect her.

This created the foundation for her dependence and the first stirrings of a confused attraction.

She had no idea that her "tormentors" had all been put up to it by Tristan himself.

A perfectly orchestrated, self-directed act of heroism had stolen my daughter’s initial trust.

“I know, baby,” I stroked her back, my voice impossibly soft. “I know everything. But I promise you, he will never hurt you again. I guarantee it.”

After calming her down and ensuring she had locked herself securely in the room, I began my cleanup.

First, I called the building management. I reported a home invasion and attempted robbery, stating the door was forced and the property damaged. I demanded security be dispatched immediately and all hallway surveillance footage be secured.

Then, I dialed a number I hadn't used in years.

A lazy, smoky voice answered. “Well, well, if it isn’t Delaney Stone, the Great Litigator. Did you finally finish your merger case?”

“Quinn, I need a favor. Now.” I went straight to the point. “Run a background check on someone: Tristan Kael. Seventeen, St. Jude's Academy.”

Quinn was a college friend, now a private investigator with a notorious reputation.

“Tristan Kael?” Quinn chuckled. “Oh, I know that name. The Kael Group’s messy little bastard son. What did he do? Key your Lexus?”

“He tried to assault my daughter.”

The laugh vanished. Quinn’s voice hardened. “Send me the address. I’ll have every dirty little detail on him, from his first parking ticket to who he stole a lollipop from in kindergarten, within three days.”

I hung up, staring out at the heavy night outside. My gaze was ice cold.

The Feed was still drifting by in scattered lines.

【Investigating Tristan? Useless. The Kael family practically owns Portland. What can one small-time lawyer do?】

【Just wait for Tristan to come back with backup and settle this with the mother-daughter duo.】

【Yeah, put this mom in the dark room, too. Hehehe…】

I scoffed.

You think this is over?

You think I'll be like the "evil mother" in your plot, relying only on useless methods like calling the police or complaining to the school?

No.

You underestimate me.

You want a psychopath. You want forced love. You want a storyline that spirals out of control.

Fine.

I will give you a performance of utter, unhinged chaos.

The very next morning, the school called.

The principal’s voice was strained and frantic. “Mrs. Stone, you need to come in right now! Maya… something awful has happened!”

My heart sank, but I kept my tone calm. “What exactly is going on?”

“On the school forum… someone posted… some inappropriate pictures of Maya… The whole school is seeing them…”

I ended the call, my eyes the temperature of liquid nitrogen.

Tristan’s retaliation was faster and more vicious than I had anticipated.

I arrived at St. Jude's Academy to find Maya surrounded by a cluster of students in a classroom corner.

They were pointing, whispering vile comments.

“Hey, Maya, that’s you in the pictures, right? Didn’t realize you were such a freak.”

“How wild do you get with the Campus King? Was it good?”

Maya was clutching her backpack, her head bowed, her face paper-white and silent.

I strode over and shoved the most aggressive boy standing in front.

“Move.”

My appearance silenced the immediate circle.

The boy I pushed, one of Tristan’s lackeys, stumbled, turned, and glared at me. “Who the hell are you?”

I ignored him. I walked straight to my daughter, took off my trench coat, and wrapped it around her, pulling her close into my arms.

“Mom…” Maya’s tears immediately began to flow.

“Don’t be scared,” I patted her back, then lifted my head, my eyes sweeping over the young, malicious faces surrounding us.

“Who posted the pictures?”

No one spoke.

The boy I had pushed, Leo, scoffed. “Ma’am, your daughter’s the one who posed for them. Don’t try to play the innocent victim here.”

I looked at him and smiled slowly.

“Your name is Leo, correct?”

The boy froze. “How… how do you know that?”

“Leo Davis. Grade 11, Section C, Student ID 24. You were suspended last month for fighting at an off-campus club. Your father is a mid-level manager at City Planning, and your mother works at the department store. You’re currently pursuing a girl named Tiffany in the next class, and you stole three hundred dollars from your dad to buy her a designer bag, didn’t you?”

Leo’s face completely changed. His arrogance dissolved into sheer terror.

“You… you investigated me?!”

The surrounding students started murmuring, their eyes now wary.

I didn't acknowledge his panic. I continued: “As for the photos, they’re synthetic. The Photoshop work is amateurish. Any forensic photo expert can tell. I have already contacted the police and my litigation team. You, and every single student who has made a derogatory comment on the forum, will be receiving a cease-and-desist letter within the hour.”

“Defamation is a serious crime. Depending on the severity, it can carry a penalty of jail time. Since you are minors, you won’t be incarcerated, but the resulting felony record will follow you for life. Say goodbye to college applications, federal jobs, and any chance of a clean start.”

My voice was low, but every word sliced through the tension.

The students, who minutes ago had been so bold, now looked sickly pale.

【HOLY SHIT! This mom is a professional!】

【I take back everything! She’s not a puritan, she’s a predator!】

【LOL, these pathetic brats got a major reality check. They picked the wrong fight.】

I allowed myself a moment to appreciate their fear, then shifted my attention to the teacher hiding in the corner.

“Ms. Williams,” I said, looking at the stunned principal. “As the homeroom teacher, my daughter has been subjected to severe bullying and slander in your class, and you stood by and watched. I believe I need to have a serious discussion with the District and the Board about your professional conduct.”

The principal’s face turned the color of beet juice.

Just then, an arrogant voice cut in from the doorway.

“Oh, what a lively scene.”

Tristan had arrived.

He had a bandage on his cheek and a wrap on his arm. He swaggered in, trailed by a few large, menacing boys.

His presence was a shot of confidence to the students, who immediately began to look less terrified.

Tristan stopped in front of me, looking down with eyes full of pure malice and triumph.

“Mrs. Stone, I told you you’d regret crossing me.” He smiled, utterly feral. “This is just the beginning. I will make your daughter unlivable in this city, completely destroy her name, and she will crawl back to me on her hands and knees.”

He believed he had won.

The Feed agreed.

【Tristan is dominant! We love this psycho-energy!】

【That’s right! When dealing with an annoying bitch, you use the nuclear option!】

I looked at him. And I smiled, too.