17

**Third Person POV**

Madeline hurried home, her heart racing as she approached the front door. The sight that greeted her made her gasp—a broken door, splintered at the hinges. Fear gripped her as she wondered if thieves had broken in. Grabbing a broken pipe she found nearby, she armed herself, ready to confront whoever might still be inside.

But as she cautiously stepped through the doorway, she found the house eerily empty. Nothing seemed stolen, yet something was terribly wrong. Her heart pounded as she saw it—blood on the floor, small droplets leading towards the stairs. Panic surged through her as she sprinted upstairs, hoping against hope that her daughter was safe.

The upstairs room was also empty, and Madeline's anxiety reached a fever pitch. Tears welled in her eyes as she called out for MJ, her voice trembling with fear. She imagined the worst—had her husband done something to their daughter? Was MJ hurt? Madeline collapsed to her knees, overwhelmed with dread.

But she couldn't stay like this. Madeline forced herself to stand, wiping her tears away with a shaking hand. She had to find MJ, to know she was safe. Taking a deep breath, she bolted out of the house and headed straight to the Parkers' home next door.

May Parker opened the door, concern written across her face as she saw the state Madeline was in.

"Madeline, what happened? Are you okay?"

Madeline, still out of breath, managed to stammer, "My house… the door was broken… there's blood... Where's MJ? Is she here?"

May quickly nodded, trying to calm her down. "MJ is fine, Madeline. She's upstairs resting."

At that moment, Peter arrived, seeing the panic in Madeline's eyes. He quickly added, "Don't worry, Ms. Madeline, MJ is safe here with us."

Madeline didn't wait for another word. She rushed past Peter, practically running upstairs to find her daughter. As she burst into Peter's room, she found MJ lying on the bed, her head resting on Gwen's lap, while Cindy sat beside them, talking softly.

Madeline's breath caught in her throat as she saw MJ, the relief mixing with the lingering fear.

"MJ, are you okay? What happened?"

MJ, still shaken but trying to be strong for her mother, nodded. "I'm okay, Mom. I… I just couldn't stay there anymore. I'm sorry for worrying you."

Madeline knelt beside the bed, gently brushing a strand of hair from MJ's face. "You don't have to apologize, sweetheart. I'm just glad you're safe."

As the emotional reunion unfolded, Peter turned back to the doorway where George Stacy had just arrived, invited by Peter earlier to help with MJ's situation. George had been a close friend of the Parkers, with May treating Gwen like her own daughter, so Peter trusted him to give them guidance.

Peter welcomed George inside and led him to the dining room where Uncle Ben was waiting. George, sensing the tension, asked,

"What's going on, Ben? Peter mentioned something about a serious problem."

Ben sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's MJ. She's been dealing with her father's abuse for years, but last night… it escalated. She was hurt, George. We brought her here to keep her safe."

George's expression darkened as he listened to the details. "That son of a bitch," he muttered under his breath, his hand tightening into a fist. "What did you have in mind, Ben? We need to get her out of that situation permanently."

Ben nodded. "I was hoping you could help us figure out the best way to protect her and Madeline. MJ can't go back there. But we need to be careful about how we handle this."

George leaned back in his chair, considering their options. "We have two main options: We could report him to Child Protective Services. But that might get complicated with legal battles and possibly even backlash against Peter. Or, we could help Madeline file for divorce. The divorce seems like the best option, but we need to make sure Madeline is on board, and that she understands the consequences."

Peter then led George upstairs to meet with MJ and Madeline. As they entered the room, MJ sat up from her mother's lap, and George walked over, greeting Madeline with a gentle smile.

"Madeline, I'm so sorry for what you've been going through," George said, his voice filled with genuine concern. "We need to discuss your options moving forward. I know this isn't easy, but we're here to help."

Madeline wiped her tears, trying to compose herself. "Thank you, George. I don't know what to do. I've been with him for so long… and there's the prenup. If I divorce him, I'll have nothing. I can't just leave with MJ and be out on the street."

George placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I understand your concerns, but you have to think about MJ's safety and well-being first. If staying with him means putting her in danger, then we need to find a way to get you both out safely. We can work through the legal issues together."

Madeline hesitated, her mind racing as she thought about her life, her love story with Mr. Watson before the accident that changed him, and the fear of starting over with nothing. 'I… I don't know if I can do this. He wasn't always like this, you know? We were happy once…'

MJ reached out, taking her mother's hand. "Mom, please… I don't want to go back. I'm scared of what he might do next time."

Madeline's heart broke at the sight of her daughter's tear-filled eyes. She knew MJ was right, but the thought of losing everything was terrifying. "But the prenup… I don't have anywhere else to go."

George sighed, "We can discuss all of that with a lawyer. But staying with him isn't an option. If it comes to it, we'll fight the prenup. Your safety is more important than anything else."

As the room fell into a heavy silence, Peter, who had been standing by the door, finally spoke. "Ms. Madeline, whatever you need, we're here for you. Don't worry about the financial side of things—I can take care of it. You just need to divorce that bastard and keep MJ safe."

Everyone turned to Peter, confusion and surprise etched on their faces. How could a 15-year-old boy promise to take care of them financially? Peter met their gazes with a determined look, not backing down from his words. 'They don't know what I'm capable of,' Peter thought, 'but I'll do whatever it takes to protect them.'