Patricia's breathing got heavier. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. "Haven't you punished us enough? You married Ethan's brother, you've turned everyone against us, and now you're trying to send Vanessa to jail?"
"I'm not trying to send her anywhere," I said firmly. "I'm trying to protect myself and my business from her attacks. She's the one who logged into my website and cancelled orders. She's the one who called my production house trying to shut down my work. She's the one who created fake accounts to trash my reputation."
"Because you're destroying her life!" Patricia cried. "She lost her reputation, people are turning against her..."
"Because she lied!" I shot back. "She spread lies about me, and now the truth is coming out and she can't handle it."
"You're being cruel," Patri
