Chapter 3
The realization hit Ricardo like a physical blow. He pulled back slightly, his hands gripping the shoulders of the white shirt, and carefully maneuvered the fabric away from the boy's back. There, concealed beneath the tailored layers of the expensive suit, was a lightweight orthopedic restraint harness—the kind used in specialized behavioral clinics to restrict movement during severe anxiety episodes.
Ricardo’s breathing hitched. He looked up at Elena, the restrained anger in his eyes finally boiling over.
“What is this?” Ricardo demanded, holding up the fabric to expose the gray nylon strap. “Why is my eight-year-old son wearing a medical restraint in his own home?”
Elena crossed her arms, her red dress rustling softly as she squared her shoulders. Her face remained entirely devoid of panic, which made her posture all the more chilling.
“Dr. Harrison prescribed it,” Elena said smoothly, her voice lacking any hint of remorse. “Leo has episodes of violent flailing when he doesn't get his way. You wouldn't know because you're never here. It keeps him from hurting himself against the glass walls and the hardwood floors.”
“Dr. Harrison is a family therapist, not a pediatric neurologist,” Ricardo said, his voice rising sharply as he stood up, towering over her. “You didn't consult me. You installed a medical device on my son behind my back.”
“I made a practical decision,” Elena shot back, stepping into his personal space without a trace of fear. “You want to play the doting father on weekends, but someone has to maintain order in this house. If we don't control him now, he'll end up institutionalized by the time he's twelve.”
Leo whimpered softly from the floor, curling into a tighter ball beside the wooden toy house. He reached out blindly, his small fingers catching the hem of Ricardo’s trousers.
Ricardo looked down at his son, then back at his wife. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out his smartphone, and tapped the screen with trembling fingers.
May you like
“I’m calling Harrison right now,” Ricardo said, bringing the phone to his ear. “And if he confirms he ordered this, I’m filing an emergency injunction by morning.”
Elena didn’t flinch. Instead, a slow, calculated smile touched the corners of her lips as her phone began to vibrate in her palm.
