Chapter 4 - WHY MARGARET HATED LAURA
The police investigation uncovered something Laura never expected.
Money.
Margaret had not simply disliked her.
She believed Laura stood between her and Daniel’s finances.
Years earlier, after Daniel’s father died, Margaret became financially dependent on her son.
Not completely.
She had pension income.
Savings.
A paid-off condo.
But Daniel paid extras.
Trips.
Repairs.
Medical costs insurance did not cover.
Then Laura and Daniel had Eli.
Priorities changed.
Daniel reduced the monthly amount he sent his mother.
Margaret blamed Laura.
In messages to her sister, she wrote:
Ever since that woman had the boy, Daniel acts like I’m optional.
Another:
Laura controls the money now.
Another:
She is teaching Eli to disrespect me because she knows he will inherit everything later.
Laura stared.
“Inherit what?”
Daniel looked embarrassed.
His father had left a family investment account worth about $1.8 million.
Daniel inherited most of it.
Margaret received lifetime income from a separate account.
She was not poor.
Yet she had convinced herself Laura and Eli were stealing a future that belonged to her.
Then came the strangest message.
Sent two months earlier.
If Daniel saw how badly Laura raises that child, maybe he would finally understand that Eli should spend more time with me.
Laura went still.
“She wanted custody?”
“Not legally.”
Daniel looked sick.
“She wanted control.”
That was worse in a different way.
Margaret wanted Eli staying with her more often.
Weekend after weekend.
Her house.
Her food.
Her rules.
She believed if Eli became “difficult” at home, Daniel would blame Laura.
So she created problems.
Not only with the tea.
She had deliberately sent him home late.
Allowed him to skip homework.
Then told Daniel Laura was too strict when consequences followed.
She had been manufacturing conflict.
The drink tampering was the most dangerous step in a much longer campaign.
Daniel whispered:
“She was trying to make us fight over him.”
Laura nodded.
“And we did.”
That hurt.
Because Margaret’s manipulation had worked more than once.
Daniel had accused Laura of micromanaging.
Laura had accused him of always defending his mother.
Eli had started believing he was the reason they argued.
Now the entire family dynamic looked different.
Then Eli appeared in the doorway.
“Are you fighting?”
Laura’s heart broke.
“No.”
He looked at Daniel.
“Because of me?”
Daniel stood.
“No.”
He crouched.
“Listen to me.”
Eli stared.
“Adults make choices.”
“Grandma made bad ones.”
“I made bad ones.”
“Mom and I argued because we didn’t handle things well.”
His voice cracked.
“You are not responsible for any of that.”
Eli whispered:
“Even the tea?”
“Especially the tea.”
Then:
“Grandma told me if I got sick enough, Mom wouldn’t make me go to that school anymore.”
Laura froze.
“What?”
Eli looked frightened.
“She said you’d have to homeschool me.”
Daniel went white.
Why did Margaret care about school?
The answer arrived two days later.
Because Laura had accepted a full-time position there.
Starting next month.
A job that would make the family less dependent on Margaret for childcare.
Margaret had not only been losing influence.
She knew it.
May you like
And she had been trying to stop it.
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