Chapter 7 - The Echoes of the Past
Three days later, a thick, cream-colored envelope arrived in the mail. The elegant, looping handwriting on the front was unmistakable. It was from Eleanor.
Ryan intercepted the letter before Sarah could see it. He stood by the kitchen island, staring at his name on the envelope, debating whether to simply throw it in the trash. Curiosity and a need for closure won out. He sliced it open.
The letter was a masterpiece of manipulation. Eleanor wrote at length about her "motherly concern" and how she had only wanted the best for her grandson. She claimed Sarah was unstable and that her own actions were simply a desperate attempt to stage an intervention. Astonishingly, she demanded an apology from Ryan for his "abusive and disrespectful" behavior.
There was no apology for the bruise on Sarah's face. No remorse for terrifying a toddler.
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A grim smile touched Ryan's lips. Any lingering guilt he felt over slapping her vanished instantly. The letter was all the proof he needed that his mother was incapable of change or self-reflection.
He didn't tear the letter up. Instead, he carefully placed it back into the envelope and slid it into a folder labeled "Legal." It was no longer a piece of painful correspondence; it was evidence. He would give it to their lawyer for the permanent restraining order hearing. Eleanor had dug her own grave.
