Madeline opened her mouth to say something more, but Carter stopped her.
"Mom, Theo's alone in the hospital room. You and Denise should go check on him."
Madeline was still fuming, but with Carter stepping in—and her own fault undeniable—she could only shoot Sharon a furious glare before turning to leave.
But Sharon's voice cut through the air.
"Wait."
Everyone turned to her.
Sharon spoke slowly, her tone calm but unmistakably sharp. "Despite being fully aware that I'm the child's biological mother, Madeline has made a false police report and spread defamatory claims. Her actions have not only damaged my reputation, but also violated public security laws."
She turned to the police officer. "Officer, we can't let this slide. If there's no consequence today, what happens next time—if she calls the cops again during one of my important performances, just to sabotage me?"
The officer asked, "Sharon, do you want to press charges?"
Cases like this—filing a false police report—could
