Chapter 3

The elevator doors slid shut.

I watched his face vanish, inch by inch, into the closing gap.

His expression went from fury to blank shock.

He must have thought I'd beg. Thought I'd cave.

Thought I wouldn't dare.

From the day I married into that family.

From the first time they dumped a nephew on me for tutoring.

From all the nights I came home from overtime and still had to check three kids' homework.

From the way they treated my daughter like she was invisible.

And then left her home alone.

This marriage, in that moment, was officially over.

The elevator stopped on the first floor.

I wheeled my suitcase out.

My phone rang.

It was my mom.

"Sweetie, your dad and I worked out the settlement. We're keeping one of the units for you."

"Come home and take a look first. If you don't like it, we'll swap it out."

I gripped the phone, my eyes stinging.

"Mom, I'm bringing Emma home tonight."

A while back she'd told me the old house was slated for demolition.

All told, it came to over a million dollars and three units.

I'd meant to set some of it aside.

A little fund for the three of us.

So that whenever money got tight down the road, we wouldn't have to sweat it.

Now I saw it differently.

Murray Fox didn't deserve a cent of it.

I'd barely stepped out of the hotel when my phone buzzed.

A text from Murray.

【Natalie Ball, what can you even do without me?】

【I'm giving you one last chance.】

【Come back and apologize on your own, or don't ever come back!!!】

I looked at the message and almost laughed.

Which of us really couldn't survive without the other?

I didn't bother replying. I just blocked him.

Then I called a car and headed straight for the airport.

My whole mind was on my daughter now.

Meanwhile, over at the in-laws', it was as if I'd dropped dead.

Not one of them reached out.

They were too busy enjoying themselves.

Soaking in the hot springs, ordering big meals, posting photos online.

Three kids' homework was the last thing on their minds.

Until early evening.

Aiden, the older sister's boy, spoke up on his own.

"Mom, I still haven't done my summer homework."

That was when it hit the whole family.

Murray's older sister spoke first.

"I was never any good at school. I can't even make sense of those problems."

Murray's younger sister jumped right in.

"I'm even worse. I never finished middle school."

"Better let our brother do it. At least he's got a college degree."

All three of them turned to Murray at once.

His face soured. "Me?"

The older sister said, "Your wife took off, so who else is going to? "

"This is what you get for not being able to keep your own wife in line."

Murray had nothing to say to that. He just marched the three kids back into the room.

At first he was serious enough about it.

Working through the problems one by one.

But half an hour in.

He was falling apart.

There was one math problem he explained five times.

The kids still stared at him blankly.

A vein stood out on Murray's forehead.

"A problem this simple? What are you even doing in class?"

Aiden looked ready to cry.

"Aunt Natalie only had to explain it once and I got it."

The words landed like a slap across his face.

His phone rang.

He'd already made plans to go out drinking that night.

Murray checked the time, then looked at the three little terrors.

He got up without a second thought.

Shoved them into his parents' room.

"Mom, watch them for me. I'm heading out."

Before the mother-in-law could react.

The three kids had already stormed the room.

Jumping on the bed, fighting over the remote, digging through the suitcases.

How were two old people supposed to control that?

They tore around until nine, until the old woman had yelled herself hoarse.

The mother-in-law collapsed on the couch and called her older daughter.

"Come get Aiden, now!"

The older sister was soaking in the hot springs with a face mask on.

"Mom, it's not every day I get to enjoy myself."

"Just let me have a little peace and quiet."

Then she hung up on her.

The mother-in-law called the younger daughter instead.

That one was even more blunt.

"Mom, I'm right here next to my sister. Go bother my brother."

The mother-in-law was furious.

She turned around and called Murray.

The second he picked up, she laid into him.

"You useless thing, you can't even keep your own wife in line!"

"Get her back here right now to help watch these kids!"

On Murray's end the music was pounding.

He had to shout over it.

"I'm out, I don't have time!"

The mother-in-law went even harder.

"Good for nothing, wrecks everything he touches!"

The line went quiet.

No one answered.

The whole house had fallen into chaos.

On my end, I'd just landed and grabbed a cab home.

The moment the key slid into the lock, my hand was shaking.

"Emma, Mommy's home."

The living room lights were off. No answer.

My heart shot straight into my throat.

I flicked on the lights and searched the room.

There in the corner of the couch was a small, curled-up shape.

On the coffee table in front of her.

Sat a slice of cold bread she'd taken from the fridge.

A few bites gone, most of it left.

Beside it, an opened bottle of water.

The cap not screwed on right, water spilled all across the table.

Looking at my daughter, already fast asleep.

My legs gave out, and I dropped to my knees in front of her.