“Chloe, stop letting that annoying brat disrespect you, put him in his place right now!” Brenda’s sharp voice screamed through the courtroom amplifiers.

A violent wooden thud shook the sound system, followed immediately by Toby’s agonized, desperate screams.

Beatrice covered her face with both hands, dropping her lace handkerchief onto the polished floor.

Brenda sat frozen at the defense table, her jaw tight and her eyes fixed on the black speaker mounted high on the courtroom wall.

Judge Alvarez set his glasses down on his desk, his face unreadable as the audio waveform dropped back to total silence on the monitor.

“That recording is direct criminal incitement to child abuse,” Prosecutor Jenkins said firmly into the quiet room.