Chapter 1 - The Broken Mirror
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The dust on my clothes had settled into every fold of my jacket. I had spent twelve hours overseeing a grueling commercial foundation pour, and every joint in my body screamed for sleep.
My husband, Declan, stood near the velvet sofa in our open-concept living room. He looked at me as though the dirt on my work boots personally offended his refined sensibilities.
"Socializing with those construction workers again?" Declan asked, his voice dripping with condescension.
"I wasn't socializing, Declan. I was working," I said, unbuttoning my jacket. "We have three deadlines this week."
"Quit your job," he said smoothly.
It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order.
"What did you say?" I asked, halting in my tracks.
"You're always acting like some day laborer," he sneered, swirling the amber liquor in his crystal glass. "It's embarrassing to my associates."
Exhaustion snapped my remaining patience. I looked at his tailored three-piece suit, then toward the attached garage where his customized black Porsche sat glowing under recessed lights.
"Do you remember who helped you get that Porsche in the garage?" I asked, my tone turning sharp. "Or that suit you're wearing? You once had nothing but a rusted-out pickup truck. I helped you build every single inch of this company!"
Declan set his glass down on the marble counter with a heavy thud. His eyes narrowed into dark slits.
"You think you have the right to speak to me like that in my own house?" he asked.
"It's our house!" I retorted.
Declan didn't answer. He walked slowly toward the corner of the living room, where his custom golf bag leaned against the wall. His hand wrapped firmly around the heavy steel shaft of a driver.
My body registered the threat before my brain fully accepted it.
"Declan... put it down," I whispered, stepping back.
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"I’ll make you shut up," he growled.
He swung. The blow caught my shoulder, sending me crashing sideways onto the hardwood floor. Pain exploded across my spine, leaving me gasping for air. Looking up from the floor, Declan appeared terrifyingly huge, his face distorted by unbridled rage.
