Megan may have been able to dominate a child, but against Yvonne, a police academy martial arts champion, she was hopelessly outmatched.


    Yvonne grabbed Megan by the shoulders and delivered a series of sharp ps. Megan''s already round face swelled up like a balloon. As she struck her, Yvonne saw an image of a younger girl, a baby tooth knocked loose, blood filling her mouth as she sobbed, "Mom, I''m sorry."


    Next, Yvonne seized Megan''s hair and mmed her head against the wall. Dazed and dizzy, Megan continued to spew venom. "Yvonne, you worthless slut! You dare hit me? I''ll kill you!"


    Tired of the noise, Yvonne pped her again, this time across the mouth. Megan yelped in pain, her lips swelling, and finally fell silent. This time, Yvonne saw Megan yanking the girl''s hair, beating her mouth with a slipper, screaming, "I''ll teach you to steal food, you little whore!"


    "Mom, I''m sorry, I won''t do it again," the small, malnourished child had cried, too weak to fight back. "I was just so hungry... I only took half a bun."


    This woman was a monster.


    Now, pinned and powerless, Megan could only resort to insults. "Yvonne, you ungrateful animal! After I raised you for all those years! You would have starved to death without me!"


    Yvonne pulled her hair, forcing Megan to look at her. “I am the daughter of the Spencer family," she said, her voice dangerously low. "If you hadn''t stolen me, I would have lived a life of luxury. Do you really think I needed you to ''raise'' me?” By now, Megan was aplete mess. Her hair was disheveled, her face was a swollen, bruised pulp, and tears and snot streamed down her cheeks. Only her eyes still burned with hate.


    "Oh my goodness! What... what''s happening? Jenny, the maid, had gone downstairs to make tea. When she returned with the tray, she found Yvonne systematically beating Megan. The girl who looked so


    delicate and gentle was terrifyingly fierce.


    Jenny was so frightened that the tray slipped from her hands, sending teacups


    ttering to the floor and hot tea sshing everywhere.


    "This woman broke into the house and threatened me," Yvonne exined calmly, still holding Megan down "But I''ve subdued her. Don''t worry Jenny the police are on their way."


    I''m not afraid of her, Jenny thought, I''m afraid of you.


    The police arrived quickly, their sirens wailing through the Spencer family''s gated courtyard. Yvonne handed Megan over, then seamlessly transformed into a fragile, traumatized victim.


    "Officer, this woman is my adoptive


    mother," she began, her voice


    trembling. "She abused me my


    whole childhood. Now that


    back


    with my real parents, she broke into


    my home, attacked me, and


    threatened me."


    She rubbed her eyes furiously until they were red.


    "She... attacked you?" the officer asked, looking dubiously from Yvonne''s tear- streaked face to Megan''s battered one.


    "Yes, she hit me first. I was just defending myself," Yvonne insisted, then nced at Jenny. "Our maid can testify to that."


    "Yes, yes! I can! Mrs. Reed broke in and..... and threatened Ms. Jones!" Jenny stammered, catching Yvonne''s pointed look.