I reached into my purse, took out my phone, and set it on the table. Patio,Lawn & Garden
Then I said, loud enough for every person in that restaurant to hear, “Let go of my daughter, or the next voice you hear will be the police dispatcher listening to me report an assault in progress.”
Brent laughed. “You wouldn’t dare.”
I tapped the screen.
“911, what is your emergency?”
The color drained from his face.
I looked straight into his eyes and said, “My son-in-law has just assaulted my daughter in a public restaurant. He is still touching her. We need police at Marigold & Ash on Hanover Street.”
PART 2
Brent let go of Emily’s hair so abruptly that she almost tipped sideways. I moved around the table and caught her shoulders before she could strike the edge of the chair. Her entire body shook beneath my hands. Patio,Lawn & Garden
“Mom,” she whispered, panic spreading over her face. “Please—”
“No,” I said, not loudly, but firmly enough that she stopped.
Brent pushed up from his chair, his mouth twisting. “This is insane. You’re making a scene.”
I kept the phone against my ear. “He has released her now,” I told the dispatcher. “But he is standing. He is angry. My daughter is crying. There are witnesses.”
Around us, the restaurant had fallen silent except for the dull hum of the kitchen behind the swinging doors. A young couple near the window stared openly. An older man slowly put down his fork. The waiter holding the tray backed away and set the plates on an empty table.
Diane rose too, her pearls shifting at her throat.
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