Chapter 2 - Walking Away
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The silence in the kitchen was suffocating, broken only by Chloe’s quiet, broken sobs.
Damian adjusted the cuffs of his expensive tailored shirt, a smug, victorious smile playing on his lips. He thought he had already won. He thought he had broken her so completely that even a mother’s presence wouldn’t be enough to pull her out of the dark hole he had dug for her.
“I’m taking my daughter home,” I said, my voice eerily calm.
Damian laughed, a cold, sharp sound that echoed off the stainless steel appliances.
“She’s my wife, Margaret,” he sneered, stepping into my path. “I gave her a purpose. Before me, she was a mediocre designer playing with colors. Here, she’s part of a legacy. That useless woman deserves what’s happening to her.”
I didn’t look at him. I walked right past him, knelt on the floor, and gently grabbed Chloe’s trembling hand.
“We’re leaving, sweetheart,” I whispered, pulling her up gently.
“Mom, I can’t,” Chloe stammered, her eyes darting toward Damian in sheer terror. “He’ll… he’ll lock me out. He’ll ruin me.”
“Yes, you can. You have a home. You have a mother. And you are walking out of this door right now.”
I practically dragged her out the back exit, pushing through the heavy metal service door into the cold night air. The heavy rain instantly soaked our clothes as I led her to my old sedan.
As I unlocked the passenger door, Damian leaned against the back exit of the restaurant, lighting a cigarette under the awning.
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“She’ll come back,” he called out, his voice cutting through the sound of the rain. “They always do!”
I slammed the car door shut, got into the driver’s seat, and sped out of the alley. I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. I was searching my phone for an old friend, attorney Robert Vance. Getting her out was just the first step.
