Chapter 5: The Family’s Reaction
Gero’s family reacted exactly as Beate had feared.
His mother called first.
“How dare you embarrass my son like this?” she screamed into the phone. “He provides everything for you. A house. A car. A life. And you repay him by sending him to jail?”
Beate listened in silence.
Then she said, “He hit me fifty times with a belt while I was pregnant. The video is public record. Watch it if you want.”
The mother hung up.
Gero’s sister sent a message.
“You ruined our family. I hope you’re happy.”
Beate did not reply.
Gero’s father came to the house the next day, demanding to speak to Thomas.
Thomas met him at the door.
“You raised a monster,” Thomas said. “Now you will watch him pay for it.”
The father left without another word.
Beate sat on the couch with her hand on her belly, feeling Leo kick.
The family that had once made her feel small was falling apart.
And for the first time, she did not feel guilty for it.
She felt free.
The family’s reaction was loud.
May you like
But their power was gone.
And Beate was finally learning how to stand without their permission.
