Chapter 1 - The Porcelain Basin
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“Kneel down and wash my feet. Show some respect.”
The dining room went completely dead quiet the instant those words left my husband's lips. For a few seconds, I genuinely thought I had misunderstood him.
There was a heavy porcelain basin sitting right in the middle of our dining table, filled with lukewarm water. My husband, Nathan Caldwell, had pushed it toward me with both hands and then leaned back in his leather chair beneath the crystal chandelier, looking like a lord waiting for a servant to obey. He slowly unlaced his expensive leather shoe, kicked it off, and extended his bare foot toward me.
His mother, Margaret Caldwell, sat beside him with a cold, triumphant smile.
His younger sister, Jenna, raised her smartphone, framing the camera directly on my face.
Around the table sat six other members of the Caldwell family, all watching me with quiet, eager anticipation. Nobody looked uncomfortable. Nobody told Nathan he was stepping out of line.
In fact, Margaret let out a soft, amused laugh.
“Go on, Rebecca,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension. “Your husband has been patient enough with you. After everything you've done to disrespect this family, the least you can do is apologize like a proper wife.”
I looked at her, my hands clenching beneath the table. “What exactly have I done, Margaret?”
Jenna giggled from behind her screen. “Oh, come on, Rebecca. You know.”
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No. I didn't know. What I had actually done was refuse to hand Margaret a spare key to my private home office. I had asked her to stop opening my personal mail. I had told her she couldn't enter our house whenever she pleased while Nathan was away on business trips. Apparently, establishing basic human boundaries had become unforgivable crimes in the Caldwell household.
Nathan extended his foot another inch toward my lap and sneered. “What's taking you so long? Kneel.”
