“For what?” I asked, crossing my arms. “For treating my staff well? For owning my own business? For defending myself from humiliation?”
I leaned in slightly. “I suggest you think very carefully before you threaten legal action. I have very good lawyers, and I have proof of every word you said tonight. This restaurant has security cameras in every corner—audio and video.”
That shut him up effectively.
Marleene turned even paler, if that was possible.
“But don’t worry,” I continued. “I have no intention of using that material against you unless you force me to. Unless you try to slander me or cause me problems, then yes, those recordings will become very public. And let me tell you, social media is not kind to people who humiliate elderly mothers in public.”
“You’re not elderly,” Michael muttered miserably.
“To them, I was,” I replied, motioning to Marleene’s parents. “To them, I was the poor old lady who didn’t even deserve a plate of food.”
Marleene’s mother finally found her voice, though it was shaky. “We never wanted it to go this far. We thought… we thought we were protecting our daughter, our grandchild.”
“Protecting them from what?” I asked. “From a grandmother who loves them? From a woman who only wanted to be part of their lives?”
I shook my head. “You weren’t protecting anyone. You were feeding your own sense of superiority.”
Marlene, seeing that all was lost, tried one last approach. Her voice became soft, almost pleading. “Helen, I know things got out of control tonight, but think about Chloe. Think about your granddaughter. Do you really want to keep her away from you because of this?”
It was the wrong move.
“Do I want to keep her away from me?” I repeated, and my voice was dangerously low. “Marlene, you were the one who said Chloe needed to spend time with people who could add value. That I wasn’t good enough for her, that my experiences weren’t enriching.”
I stepped forward just enough to make her still. “I’m not the one who pushed her away. You are.”
Marlene opened her mouth to protest, but I continued before she could speak.
“And now that you know I have money—now that you know I have connections and resources—suddenly you want me to think about my granddaughter. Suddenly I’m good enough to be in her life. But it doesn’t work that way. My relationship with Chloe is not a commodity you can negotiate based on your convenience.”