Chapter 3 - The Breaking Point
I reached the law office of Elias Thorne, a shark in a tailored suit who specialized in high-stakes corporate litigation. He looked at my hand, then at the dossier, and his expression shifted from professional curiosity to genuine shock.
“Mrs. Hayes,” he said, gently taking the files. “This is… this is more than enough. This is a life sentence for him.”
As we were speaking, my phone began to buzz incessantly. It was Ethan. I didn't answer. Then Lorraine. Then Ethan again. Finally, a text appeared: Where are you? I’m at the office. The server is down. Why are you not answering?
“He’s starting to realize,” Thorne said, looking at his watch. “The forensic team is already at the office. By the time he walks out of his door, the locks will be changed and the police will be waiting.”
I felt a strange, detached calm. For years, I had walked on eggshells, terrified of his mood swings, his temper, his cold, calculated belittlement. Now, I was the one pulling the rug from beneath his feet.
Suddenly, my phone rang—it was a video call from the home security system.
I tapped it. Ethan was standing in our kitchen, his face a mask of purple, vein-popping fury. He was tearing the house apart. He had found my hidden bag, the one I’d left behind to ensure he wouldn't get suspicious too early.
“You think you can play me?” he roared at the camera, knowing I was watching. “I know you’re with a lawyer. I know what you’re doing. You think you’re smart? You’re a pathetic, burned, broken thing. You have nothing without me!”
May you like
He looked at the kitchen table, grabbed the chair I used to sit on, and smashed it against the counter.
“I’m coming for you,” he hissed. “And when I find you, that hand is going to be the least of your worries.”
