Chapter 6 - The Confrontation in Light
"Get her out of here," Steven whispered harshly as he reached us, trying to grab Kayla’s arm to pull her away from the crowd.
Before his fingers could touch her skin, I stepped in, slamming my hand against his chest. "Don't you touch her ever again, Steven."
The principal, Mr. Harrison, hurried over, looking panicked. "Mrs. Adams, Steven, what is going on here? Kayla... my goodness, what happened to you?"
"Why don't you ask Steven?" Kayla said, her voice echoing clearly across the lobby. The crowd had gathered in a massive circle around us now. Dozens of smartphones were being raised, recording the interaction. The teenage audience, usually obsessed with their own nights, were completely transfixed.
"She’s having a psychotic break, Mr. Harrison," Steven said quickly, his voice loud enough for the crowd to hear. He tried to laugh it off, though a bead of sweat was rolling down his temple. "Her sister shaved her head this morning because she’s crazy, and now they’re trying to blame me. Look at her, she’s insane!"
"Is that so, Steven?" Marcus Vance stepped forward, pulling a stack of legal documents and high-resolution photographs from his briefcase. He handed them directly to the principal. "These are photos taken over the last six months. They show deep tissue bruising, finger marks, and abdominal trauma inflicted on Kayla Adams. All documented with timestamps."
The principal gasped as he looked at the photos.
"That doesn't prove anything!" Steven shouted, his composure rapidly cracking. "She falls! She’s clumsy! You can’t prove I did that!"
"We don't need to prove the bruises right now, Steven," Reese’s small voice pierced through the tension. She stepped forward, holding up the pink tape recorder. "But you said this on my radio show."
She hit the play button.
The audio had been boosted by Marcus’s office equipment. Steven’s voice erupted through the hotel lobby, clear, arrogant, and monstrous.
“...get her wasted... put something in her drink so she can’t say no... getting her pregnant will keep her from leaving for college...”
The collective gasp from the crowd was deafening. Several mothers in the crowd covered their mouths in horror. Steven’s friends, who had been standing behind him in their tuxedos, slowly took several steps backward, completely distancing themselves from him.
"Turn that off!" Steven screamed, lunging for Reese.
Marcus intercepted him, grabbing Steven by the shoulders and shoving him back. "Touch my niece’s kid, and I’ll take you down right here, boy."
"What is going on here?!" A booming voice shattered the confrontation.
Richard Vance, the town’s city council president, came marching down the grand staircase, his face purple with rage. He had been attending a political dinner in the hotel’s secondary hall. He pushed through the crowd, looking like a man used to commanding every room he entered.
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"Marcus? What are you doing harassing my son?" Richard demanded. "Mr. Harrison, call the security. Get these people out of here."
"I don't think security can help you tonight, Richard," Marcus said calmly, drawing another set of papers from his jacket. "And I don't think your bluff about Arthur Adams is going to work anymore either."
