My Son and His Wife Took Their Son on a $20K Cruise, Leaving Their Daughter Home — By Noon, I Was Standing at Their Table

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Chapter 44

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Check her pockets, the agent ordered. An officer patted her down and pulled out her phone. ‘Hey, give that back. That is my property,’ Monica yelled, thrashing against the restraint. ‘It is evidence now, ma’am,’ the officer said, bagging it. Austin did not fight. When the officer approached him, he turned around slowly and offered his wrists.

He was crying silently. He looked over the officer’s shoulder at me. He mouthed two words. I am sorry. I didn’t respond. Apologies without restitution are just noise, and Austin had nothing left to offer but noise. They marched them toward the SUV vahos. The scene was attracting attention now. Dock workers stopped their forklifts.

Passengers looking down from the balconies of the ship pointed and took photos. Monica Slater was finally getting the fame she always wanted. She was the center of attention. She was the main character. But the genre of her story had changed from a lifestyle vlog to a true crime documentary. As they pushed Austin into the back of the first vehicle, he looked at Leo.

Leo’s son. Austin called out his voice cracking. Be good. Okay. Listen to Grandpa. I will I will call you. Leo stood beside me, rigid as a board. He didn’t wave. He didn’t cry. He just watched his father disappear behind the tinted glass. He learned a lesson that day that no school could teach.

He learned that actions have consequences that cannot be undone with a hug or a toy. Monica fought until the very end. As they tried to put her in the second car, she braced her legs against the door frame. I did nothing wrong. She screamed to the sky, to the ship, to anyone who would listen. I am a good mother.

I fed her. She had bread. She is lying. The girl is a liar. She is the problem. The officer pushed her head down, protecting her from hitting the frame, and shoved her inside. He slammed the door. Her muffled screams were cut off. The silence that followed was heavy. The seagulls cried overhead. The water lapped against the pilings.

Rachel walked over to us. She looked at the kids, then at me. Are they okay? She asked softly. ‘They will be,’ I said. The agent walked over. He took off his sunglasses. He looked tired. ‘Mr. Slater, we have everything we need. The video evidence you sent from the ship, combined with the bank records Rachel provided, is airtight.

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