Chapter 2 - THE MORNING OF THE LOCKOUT
I returned to the house at 5:00 a.m. while the neighborhood was still draped in a thick, gray fog. I hadn't slept, but I wasn't tired. Adrenaline was a potent fuel. I had left the children with my parents—parents who had wept when they saw Lily’s bruised shoulders, their tears quickly hardening into a fury that matched my own.
I walked up the porch steps, the house looking deceptively peaceful. This was the home I had paid for, the mortgage I had covered, the walls I had painted with my own hands while Claire spent her weekends at "conferences" with Marcus.
I took the master key from my pocket—the one I had duplicated three months ago when I realized Claire was spending less time with the children and more time "networking."
As I pushed the door open, the scent of expensive perfume hit me—Claire’s scent, mingled with the lingering smell of Marcus’s cologne. They hadn't even bothered to air out the living room.
The house was quiet, but the air felt heavy. I walked to the kitchen, the scene of the crime from the night before. I didn't see it as a home anymore; I saw it as a crime scene. I pulled out my phone and dialed Marcus Vale’s office number. I knew he wouldn't be there yet, but I wanted his secretary to be the first person to deliver the news.
"Marcus Vale’s office, how may I direct your call?"
"Tell Marcus," I said, my voice steady, "that the digital evidence specialist for the Attorney General is looking forward to seeing him at the board meeting this morning. Tell him to bring a very good lawyer."
May you like
I hung up, dialed the locksmith, and then sat at the kitchen table to wait. The trap was set.
---
