Chapter 1 - The Midnight Bell
The phone vibrated on the nightstand like a trapped insect,
buzzing against the polished wood in the dead of the night.
I reached for it with a trembling hand,
my heart hammering against my ribs like a frantic bird.
The screen illuminated the dark room with a harsh,
unforgiving blue light.
It was Lucas,
my younger brother,
calling from the hospital in Macon.
I answered on the first ring,
my voice nothing more than a ragged whisper.
"Samantha,"
he sobbed,
the sound breaking across the hundreds of miles between us.
"She’s gone,"
he choked out,
each word a dagger to my soul.
"Mom had a heart attack,"
"the doctors tried everything,"
"but her heart just couldn't take it anymore."
The world seemed to stop spinning in that singular moment.
The air in the bedroom turned to ice,
freezing the breath in my lungs.
I let out a low,
gutteral moan of agony,
the kind of sound that only comes from a shattered heart.
Beside me,
Gavin stirred,
his face contorted in a mask of annoyance rather than concern.
He didn't reach out to hold me,
he didn't ask what was wrong,
he simply checked the time on the glowing clock.
"It’s two in the morning,"
he snapped,
his voice sharp and devoid of any empathy.
"Who is calling at this hour?"
"My mother,"
I gasped out through the hot tears that were already blinding me.
"She died, Gavin,"
"I have to go to Macon,"
"I have to see her one last time."
I scrambled out of bed,
my legs feeling like they were made of lead.
I reached for my car keys on the dresser,
but Gavin was faster.
He snatched them out of the air with a predatory grin.
"You aren't going anywhere,"
he said,
his voice dropping to a dangerous,
low rumble.
"Your mother is already dead,"
"waiting until tomorrow isn't going to kill her again."
I looked at him in disbelief,
wondering how the man I married could be so monstrous.
"Please,"
I begged,
dropping to my knees on the cold floor.
"I need to say goodbye,"
"I need to be with Lucas."
"The priest is coming tomorrow,"
Gavin reminded me,
stepping over my trembling body.
"We have investors coming to see the apartment,"
"I will not have you ruins our prospects with your hysterics."
He looked at me as if I were a stain on the rug,
something to be cleaned or hidden away.
I tried to push past him,
desperation giving me a fleeting burst of strength.
"Move out of my way!"
I screamed,
lunging for the door.
But Gavin caught me by the hair,
jerking my head back with a force that made me see stars.
May you like
He swung his hand in a wide arc,
and the slap echoed through the silent apartment.
