One evening Blake showed up at my apartment building and knocked on the door with enough force that the hallway echoed, which made Sadie freeze in the living room like a deer caught in headlights.
I stepped outside and closed the door behind me while saying firmly, “You do not get to come anywhere near her.”
Blake glared at me and spat, “You are ruining my life over a mistake.”
I looked at him carefully and replied, “No, you ruined your own life when you decided that hitting a child was acceptable behavior.”
He scoffed and said angrily, “You have always been jealous of me because I actually built something successful while you are stuck working billing shifts at a clinic.”
I shook my head slowly and answered, “You are not losing your empire because of jealousy, you are losing it because vi0lence eventually catches up with people who believe they are untouchable.”
From inside the apartment Sadie’s small voice called out, “Mom, who is there.”
I immediately stepped closer to the door and said loudly enough for her to hear, “Nobody important, sweetheart, go finish your homework and I will be inside in a minute.”