Father’s mouth opened, then closed.

“For questioning?” Father asked.

“On what grounds?”

“We have a formal complaint of financial abuse of a dependent, as well as child endangerment regarding the original incident,” the officer said.

“We need to document everything.”

“This is absurd,” Father said, but his voice lacked its usual power.

“I am a partner at the firm.”

“That won’t change the procedure, sir,” the officer said.

The sound of another siren began to wail in the distance, closer this time.

It was the second police cruiser arriving at the front of our estate.

Mother sank into one of the expensive wicker patio chairs, her face in her hands.

The gold bracelets on her wrists clinked together, a sharp, metallic sound.

“Our lives are over,” Mother moaned into her palms.

“Everything we built.”

Chloe stood next to me, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

“Good,” Chloe whispered.

I looked at my twin sister, the girl who had always had everything I was denied.

For the first time in our lives, we were looking at the same reality.