Adored

Chapter 8

Meg woke up with the biggest headache. It was Monday but not morning. She looked for her phone and checked the time. It was 12:34PM.

Angelique turned from her desk. "You're awake."

Meg put her glasses on. "Yeah. Why'd you let me sleep so long? We're so late for school."

"We're not going to school."

"But we graduate in two weeks. We can't afford to skip school."

"This is for your mental health. You can't afford to skip that."

Meg melted. "Thanks. So we're having a self-care day?"

"No. We're gathering our strength."

"For what?" Meg thought it was code for sex.

"You're going to fight your parents for custody of Chris and Stewie. If you want."

Meg's mouth fell open. "What?!"

"It's only if you want to. But I heard you last night. Your parents aren't good. Why let them continue to be not good or worse if left unchecked? Stewie's two years old. He's too impressionable for that type of toxicity."

Meg's mind raced. "You're right."

"Now this is only if you want to. Nobody deserves to feel like a burden."

Meg set her face. "I want to."

"Are you sure? I mean you are only going to be eighteen. This is your time to be free."

"I want to."

"Good girl."

Meg smiled. "So what's the first step?"

"Telling Momma and Daddy the truth about everything."

Meg was highly embarrassed.

"I promise everything will be alright."

"Okay." Meg took a deep breath. "Let's go."

{}

Augustus and Peach were horrified by all that Meg told them. Quite honestly she was leaving a tonne of things out because she had cottonmouth but the general point was that Angelique was right.

Peach had swooned when it came to Lois and Meg being on the corner to help with family finances.

Augustus was sick to his stomach. "We're going to the courthouse today!"

"Mr. Swanson is a police officer." Meg brought up.

"Is he corrupt?" Augustus pushed.

"Not really but he's morally grey at times."

"Corrupt!"

"I don't want to ruin anyone's life. I just want my brothers."

Augustus took her hand and patted it. "We'll see to justice."

Meg was a little frightened of what that meant but nodded.

{}

Augustus called a judge friend of his to spill all that he'd learned. Not a judge in Rhode Island but from the Supreme Court. It wasn't in her usual jurisdiction but the case intrigued her.

After, child protective services were called.

Chris and Stewie were taken from the home.

Lois was jailed for trying to physically fight back against this. Peter didn't want to go back to jail so he kept his cool, stressed out though.