Chapter 4
Luca arrived at Jessi’s apartment the next morning.
She had taken Fiona to stay with her sister.
He stood outside rather than entering.
Jessi had changed the access code during the night.
“What are you doing?”
he asked.
“Keeping Fiona away from Wendy.”
“My mom isn’t here.”
“You knew about the licensing agreement.”
His face changed.
Only slightly.
Jessi saw it.
“Marissa contacted you.”
“That’s your concern?”
“She hates Mom.”
“Did you sign an agreement saying Wendy could not supervise children?”
“It wasn’t a ban.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“It was a corrective action plan.”
“Did you sign it?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because it had nothing to do with Fiona.”
Jessi almost laughed.
“Your mother slapped Fiona.”
“At a family party.”
“She does not get a special hitting license because there’s cake.”
Luca rubbed his face.
“The state issue was about procedures.”
“Marissa says your mother grabbed children.”
“Marissa says a lot of things.”
“Did Wendy keep going into classrooms?”
“She founded the place.”
“Did she discipline children?”
“No.”
Jessi stared at him.
He looked away.
That was enough to keep asking.
She contacted the licensing agency through counsel.
No dramatic accusation.
She requested confirmation of the corrective agreement and asked how to provide evidence from the birthday incident if relevant.
The answer came quickly.
The agency already knew.
The pediatric report had been cross-referred.
So had the police report.
A new review opened.
Then Jessi learned something Luca had not told her.
Little Harbor had received two additional complaints after Wendy’s supposed retirement.
Neither became a substantiated physical-abuse finding.
But both involved inappropriate discipline.
One parent said her four-year-old was forced to sit alone in a darkened supply alcove.
Another said Wendy threatened to wash a child’s mouth with soap.
Little Harbor responded:
Wendy had no supervisory authority.
She was merely visiting.
Luca signed both responses.
Jessi read the second one twice.
Ms. Mercer does not direct staff, discipline children, or exercise operational control.
She remembered family dinners.
Wendy ordering Luca to fire teachers she disliked.
Wendy approving classroom decorations.
Wendy changing staff schedules from her phone.
Wendy saying:
“My centers.”
Not Luca’s.
Not Little Harbor’s.
Mine.
The legal paperwork described a retired founder.
Reality described the boss.
Then Marissa sent Jessi another message.
Ask who signs Wendy’s consulting checks.
Jessi did.
Little Harbor’s financial records were private, but discovery would later reveal the answer.
Luca.
Every month.
Wendy received $14,000 as a “founder consultant.”
Her contract said:
No direct child supervision. No personnel authority. Advisory only.
Her actual emails contained instructions like:
Move Teresa out of toddlers. She’s too soft.
No parent gets to tell us how to correct their child.
Put Mason in quiet room if he throws again.
May you like
Luca responded to most with:
Okay.
