Part 3
I didn't waste a single second.
I dialed Rebecca Lawson's number and put her on speakerphone.
"Rebecca, I'm sitting here with Susan Harper from Child Protective Services."
"Good morning, Susan," Rebecca's voice came through, crisp and sharp. "I assume my client has shown you the footage?"
"She has," Susan replied.
She rubbed her temples, looking incredibly weary.
"In my twelve years with this agency, I have never seen a more blatant attempt to weaponize our system."
"This isn't just a false report, Ms. Lawson. This is a coordinated conspiracy to commit child abuse via institutional trauma."
Hearing a state official say those words sent a shiver down my spine.
But it was a good shiver.
A validating one.
"What are the next steps for your agency, Susan?" Rebecca asked.
"The investigation against Mallerie is officially closed as of right now," Susan stated firmly.
"I am marking the allegations as completely unfounded and malicious."
"Furthermore, I am opening an immediate cross-investigation into Kendra Miller and Eleanor Vance for severe emotional abuse and child endangerment."
"They used a three-year-old child to perpetrate a felony. That makes Nora a victim of their manipulation as well."
I let out a breath I felt like I'd been holding for days.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Susan looked at me, her eyes softening.
"Don't thank me yet, Mallerie. This is just the beginning."
"They wanted to use us to tear your family apart. Now, we use the law to protect it."
"I will be submitting my official report to the district attorney's office by noon."
"But you need to protect yourself immediately. They don't know you have this video yet."
Rebecca chimed in over the speaker.
"Susan is right. Mallerie, I am drafting an emergency petition for a permanent protective order against your mother and sister."
"We are going to request zero contact. No phone calls, no text messages, and absolutely no proximity to Charlotte."
"I need you to come to my office right now to sign the paperwork."
"We need to file this before they realize their CPS trap failed."
Susan stood up, smoothing her jacket.
"I'll accompany you to the police station first, Mallerie. We need to file a formal report for felony false reporting."
"Having a CPS investigator stand next to you while you file it will ensure it gets fast-tracked to a detective."
I looked toward the hallway where a picture of Charlotte hung.
She was smiling, her eyes bright and innocent.
They had tried to destroy that innocence.
They had tried to turn her into a terrified prisoner in her own mind.
All for some twisted game of control.
"Let's go," I said.
We left the house together.
The morning air was crisp, but I didn't feel the chill.
I felt a burning fire in my chest.
As I locked my front door, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out.
A text message from my mother.
"Mallerie, dear, just checking in. How is our sweet Charlotte doing today? Kendra and I were thinking we could take her to the park this afternoon to give you a little break."
I stared at the words.
The sheer, unadulterated hypocrisy made me sick to my stomach.
They thought I was currently panicking.
They thought I was crying, waiting for CPS to tear my life apart.
They were offering to take my daughter so they could look like the saviors.
I didn't reply.
I locked my phone and slipped it away.
"Everything okay?" Susan asked, noticing my expression.
May you like
"Perfect," I said.
"They're walking right into the trap they built for me."
