I was washing sweet potato off my hands when I heard Khloe cry.

Two weeks later, the civil and financial deposition took place.

Because Wanda had posted her half-million-dollar bail using her brother-in-law Arthur’s commercial property as collateral, she was permitted to attend the deposition regarding the fraudulent home equity loan and marital asset dissipation.

She arrived at Amanda Sterling’s conference room looking hollow. The week in jail before bail had stripped the luster from her silver hair, and the local news coverage of her arrest outside St. Michael’s had made her a pariah in the town she once ruled.

She sat across from me, flanked by Arthur and a high-priced bankruptcy attorney. Mason sat three chairs away from his mother, refusing to look her in the eye. The rift between them had grown into a chasm; Mason blamed his mother for dragging him into criminal liability, while Wanda openly called him a spineless coward for failing to control his wife.

Amanda Sterling turned on the video deposition camera.

"State your name for the record," the court reporter droned.

"Wanda Marie Miller," she whispered, her voice tight.

"Mrs. Miller," Amanda began, resting her elbows on the table. "On October 14th of this year, a wire transfer of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars was deposited into the account of WMM Interior Designs LLC. Where did those funds originate?"

Arthur leaned over and whispered into Wanda’s ear. Wanda cleared her throat. "On the advice of counsel, I invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination."

"Very well," Amanda said with a razor-thin smile. "Let’s look at Exhibit D."

Amanda pulled out a certified bank document and slid copies across the table.

"This is the digital signature verification log from First New England Bank. The IP address used to forge Shannon Miller’s electronic signature on the second mortgage application did not originate from this house. It originated from your private residence at 12 Meadow Lane, Mrs. Miller."

Wanda’s hands began to shake violently.

"Furthermore," Amanda continued, her voice rising with lethal precision, "we have subpoenaed the emails between you and your loan broker. In this email dated October 12th, you wrote—and I quote: *'Shannon is completely naive. Once the funds clear into my LLC, Mason will manage her access. When we initiate the divorce proceedings in the spring, the debt will stay with the real estate asset, leaving her penniless.'*"

The room went completely airless.

Arthur closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. He knew it was over.

Mason looked at his mother in genuine horror. "Mom... you told me the loan was backed by your antique inventory! You told me Shannon would never be at risk of losing the house!"

Wanda turned on her son with bared fangs. "Shut up, you idiot! If you had an ounce of your father’s backbone, you wouldn't have let her pull that tablecloth! You ruined everything because you couldn't control your household!"

"You stole my daughter’s future!" Mason roared, lunging across the table.

"Gentlemen! Back in your seats immediately or I will have the bailiffs enter the room!" Amanda commanded.

I sat in my chair, watching the monster and her creation rip each other apart.