Furthermore, Martha was running an illegal catering business out of the apartment, selling high-end meals and alcohol without a single permit or tax record.
As for Dante, Elara found records of a secret side business repairing high-end drones for cash. He had been making thousands of dollars a month and hiding it all while demanding every penny of her modest salary.
The next morning, Martha walked into the kitchen with a cold, triumphant smirk. “You’re going to regret the way you behaved last night, little girl.”
Elara continued packing Maya’s diaper bag. “A real mother doesn’t help her son rob his wife.”
Martha leaned over the counter, her voice a low hiss. “You have no idea what I’m capable of doing to you.”
That afternoon, Martha invited two neighbors over for coffee and began loudly weeping. She told them that Elara was an unstable mother who was planning to abandon her baby to pursue a secret affair at work.
She was trying to build a case against Elara, creating a paper trail of lies to use in a custody battle. Elara waited until the neighbors were about to leave before she walked into the room.