Chapter 1
I came home early and found my sister beating my eight-month-pregnant wife while my parents defended her.
For one second, I couldn't understand what I was seeing.
Emily was backed against the kitchen counter, one arm wrapped around her stomach. Her face was wet with tears.
My sister Chloe stood in front of her with a leather strap raised in her hand.
My mother was beside Chloe.
My father stood near the doorway.
Neither of them was trying to stop her.
"Tell us where the documents are!" Chloe screamed.
Emily shook her head.
"They belong to me."
The strap came down again.
I crossed the room before Chloe could swing twice.
I ripped it from her hand and threw it across the kitchen.
Then I shoved her away from Emily.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Chloe stumbled into a chair.
My mother screamed at me.
"Don't touch your sister!"
I stared at her.
"You're worried about Chloe?"
Emily grabbed my shirt from behind.
Her fingers were trembling.
"Ryan..."
I turned.
There was a red mark across her arm. Another mark showed above her collar.
My stomach dropped.
"How long?"
She couldn't answer.
My mother did.
"She deserved it. She refused to give us her inheritance."
I slowly looked at her.
"What?"
My father grabbed my shoulder.
"Calm down. This is family business."
I knocked his hand away.
"My pregnant wife is family."
"She married into this family," Chloe snapped.
Emily flinched.
That was when I understood this had been going on longer than today.
I pulled Emily behind me.
"You watched them attack my pregnant wife," I said to my parents. "You're all finished."
My mother laughed nervously.
"This is our house too."
"No."
I took out my phone.
"It's mine."
Chloe's face changed when she realized who I was calling.
"Ryan, don't be stupid."
I dialed 911.
My father stepped toward me.
"Think about what you're doing."
"I am."
I looked at Emily.
She was holding her stomach with both hands now.
"Are you hurt?"
"The baby hasn't moved since Chloe pushed me."
Everything inside me went cold.
I gave the dispatcher our address.
Then I ran upstairs.
My parents followed me, shouting.
I pulled their suitcases from the guest rooms and dragged them downstairs.
"What are you doing?" my mother screamed.
I opened the front door and threw the bags onto the porch.
"Leaving you with exactly what you came here with."
Sirens sounded outside.
Chloe tried to run toward the back door.
Two officers entered before she reached it.
Emily told them what happened.
Chloe denied everything.
Then Emily pointed toward the camera above the kitchen doorway.
My sister froze.
I'd installed that camera months earlier after packages disappeared.
It had recorded everything.
One officer watched the footage.
His expression hardened.
He turned toward Chloe.
"Put your hands behind your back."
My mother started crying as officers handcuffed her daughter.
"Ryan, please! Don't destroy this family!"
I looked at all three of them.
"You destroyed it when you chose money over my wife and child."
Then Emily suddenly gasped.
Her knees buckled.
I caught her before she hit the floor.
"Ryan..."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
May you like
"Something's wrong."
Click to the blue list icon to read the NEXT chapter
