The IVF Secret That Shook a Dynasty novel Chapter 150

Seeing his mother cry, Chaim immediately scrambled onto the bed and used his small hands to wipe away her tears.

“Don’t cry, Mommy. When I grow up, I’ll be a policeman and catch all the bad guys!”

Vivica managed a weak smile and squeezed her son’s hand. “Thank you, my brave little man. Remember, the most important thing is to always keep yourself safe too.”

As the words settled, her phone rang out. Her gaze shifted to the nightstand.

Joseph followed her line of sight, realizing she had probably been trying to get her phone when she fell. He walked over and glanced at the caller ID. It read “Mom.” He knew what this was about.

“It’s your mother,” he said, handing the phone to her. “She’s probably calling to plead for your father and brother.”

Vivica took the phone and looked towards Sheridan and Melanie.

Joseph understood. “Dad, why don’t you two take Chaim next door?”

“Of course. We’ll get out of your hair,” Melanie said, nodding. She gave Vivica a final word of advice. “Take care of yourself, Vivica. If you need anything, just ask Joseph. Don’t try to be brave. We’ll be back once we’ve contacted Prof. Jefferson.”

Vivica nodded gratefully. “Okay. Thank you.”

Once her son had left with the Bairds, Vivica finally answered the call. But just before she did, Joseph reminded her, “Put it on speaker.”

She knew he needed to monitor the case, so she complied, pressing the speakerphone button as soon as she answered.

“Hello…”

“Vivica, you finally answered!”

“What do you really want to say?”

Evelyn hemmed and hawed for a moment before finally getting to the point. “The police told us your injury qualifies as a serious assault, which makes this a criminal case. Vivica…”

Suddenly, her mother’s voice broke into a sob. “Your brother was already facing six months for that hit-and-run. We paid the compensation, and they gave him probation, but he’s still in the probationary period! If you press charges for what happened today, he’ll be sentenced for both crimes. He’ll really go to jail!”

That was news to Vivica. She had assumed that after her parents paid the compensation, Zahar had gotten off scot-free. She hadn’t realized it was only a suspended sentence.

“And your father… he’s almost fifty! You can’t send your own father to prison, can you? You forgave Fletcher when he beat you, didn't you? We’re your parents, he's your brother… you can’t really hold this against us, can you?”

Vivica listened, a bitter, incredulous laugh threatening to escape her lips. She couldn’t find the words to describe the feeling. In her mother’s entire speech, there wasn’t a single shred of genuine concern for her. Even a complete stranger, hearing that someone had been beaten until their bones broke, would show a little sympathy.