Chapter 1 - The Two Knocks Teresa Was Afraid Of
Julian slapped me before I finished saying no.
His palm struck the left side of my face hard enough to throw me sideways across the dining table.
A ceramic plate cracked beneath my elbow.
The wineglass beside it hit the hardwood and shattered.
“Do what my mother says, or you're going to get hit!”
For a second, all I could taste was blood.
Then Teresa grabbed my hair.
My mother-in-law twisted a fistful near my scalp and forced my face against the table.
“You’re nothing more than an ATM for this family!”
Marcus laughed under his breath.
My husband's older brother sat across from us with one ankle resting on his knee, as though this were entertainment.
Beside him, Serena said nothing.
That bothered me more.
Serena had been invited as Marcus's girlfriend, but she had spent most of dinner watching Teresa instead of him.
I grabbed Teresa's wrist.
Hard.
I peeled her fingers out of my hair and shoved her backward.
Then I wiped the blood from my mouth.
Julian stared at me.
“You really are a loyal dog,” I said.
His face changed.
I pulled out my phone.
He lunged.
Before I could move, Julian ripped it from my hand and hurled it into the wall.
The screen exploded.
“No one is going to save you.”
He came toward me again.
His fist rose.
My back hit the table.
Teresa smiled.
Then—
knock.
Knock.
Julian stopped with his fist in the air.
Marcus's smirk disappeared.
Serena turned toward the foyer.
But Teresa's reaction was different.
Her entire face drained of color.
I saw it.
And suddenly I smiled.
Because I knew who was outside.
More importantly, Teresa knew why they were there.
“Don't open that door,” she whispered.
Julian slowly lowered his hand.
“Mom?”
Teresa didn't answer.
Another knock sounded.
This time stronger.
I looked directly at her.
“What happened?”
She stared at the closed door.
May you like
Then she said four words that changed the entire night.
“They weren't supposed to come.”
