Twenty minutes later, the front driveway of the Crestview estate was crowded with emergency vehicles. Wealthy neighbors from adjacent mansions stood near their front gates, pointing their fingers and whispering as two police officers led Evelyn out of her sports car in heavy steel handcuffs.
Her burgundy dress was wrinkled, her designer hair was completely disheveled, and her face was contorted in deep humiliation as flashing news cameras from a local television station began recording her arrest.
Evelyn: Unhand me this instant! Do you know who I am?! My husband is Arthur Vance, CEO of Vance Enterprises! You will all lose your jobs for this!
Officer Davis: Keep moving, ma'am. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Just then, a sleek black sedan pulled up to the driveway, its tires crunching on the gravel. The driver's door opened, and Arthur Vance—Jake's father—stepped out onto the pavement, his face pale with horror as he saw his wife in handcuffs and a police cruiser parked in front of his home.
Arthur: What on earth is happening here?! Evelyn?! What are the police doing at our house?!
Evelyn: Arthur! Oh thank God, Arthur! Tell these incompetent fools to unhand me! Your son and his miserable wife framed me! They attacked me in our bedroom and called the police on me!
Arthur looked at Evelyn, then turned his head to see Jake walking down the front marble steps of the mansion alongside two paramedics rolling Megan out on a stretcher, her leg neatly bandaged with white gauze.
Arthur: Megan! Oh my lord, what happened to you?! Jake, what is going on?!
Jake: Dad, take a look at this video on my phone before you say another word to that monster in handcuffs.
Arthur stepped forward, taking his son's phone with trembling hands. As he watched the video of Evelyn dragging Megan by her hair and digging her nails into her leg, Arthur's breath hitched in his chest. His eyes filled with tears of pure shock and betrayal.
Arthur: Evelyn... you... you did this to Megan?
Evelyn: Arthur, honey, listen to me! She provoked me! She threatened to take your money! I was only trying to protect your estate!
Arthur: Protect my estate?! You assaulted an innocent girl in my own home! You clawed my daughter-in-law like an animal!
Evelyn: Arthur, please! Tell them not to take me to jail! I'm your wife!
Arthur turned his back on Evelyn, walking straight over to the paramedic gurney where Megan lay holding Jake's hand.
Arthur: Megan... my sweet child... I am so, so sorry. I brought this evil woman into our lives. I promise you on my life, she will pay for every tear you shed today.
Megan: Thank you, Arthur... Jake saved me today.
Arthur: Officer, take her away. My corporate attorneys will be at the precinct within the hour to file a full restraining order and initiate immediate divorce proceedings under the fault clause of our prenuptial agreement.
Evelyn: No! Arthur! You can't leave me with nothing! Arthur!
The officers pushed Evelyn into the back seat of the police cruiser, slamming the heavy door shut and cutting off her screaming voice as the car pulled away from the gates with its lights flashing.