Chapter 1 - The Christmas Dinner Callum Thought He Controlled

Christmas dinner had been peaceful for exactly forty-three minutes.

The chandelier glowed above the long table. Crystal glasses caught the warm afternoon light. Fine china, bread, roast vegetables, and half-finished plates stretched from one end of the dining room to the other.

Beside us stood the enormous Christmas tree Rosalie had decorated with me three days earlier.

Then the front doors opened.

Callum stormed in.

My son-in-law didn’t greet anyone.

He marched directly to the head of the table and slammed both hands down.

Glasses jumped.

Several relatives flinched.

“WE’RE STAYING HERE FOR A MONTH.”

I looked at Rosalie.

My daughter’s face went white.

That was enough.

I pushed my chair back and stood.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE IMMEDIATELY.”

Callum stared at me.

Then crossed the distance between us.

I did not step back.

His right hand came fast.

The punch struck me across the mouth.

Pain exploded through my lip and I stumbled sideways into the same marble side table.

Rosalie gasped.

I tasted blood.

Callum took another step.

That was when I kicked him once, hard and direct, in the stomach.

He flew backward into the Christmas tree.

CRASH.

Branches shook violently.

Ornaments shattered across the marble.

Wrapped gifts scattered.

Callum collapsed beneath the tree, stunned but conscious.

I pressed a tissue to my bleeding lip.

Then looked toward the security camera mounted near the dining area.

Callum followed my eyes.

His expression changed.

He scrambled upright.

Before anyone could stop him, he ripped the camera from its mount and smashed it onto the marble floor.

Then he stomped it apart.

“THERE WON’T BE ANY EVIDENCE LEFT.”

Rosalie rushed toward the small table beside the wall and grabbed my phone.

“DON’T MAKE THINGS WORSE, MOM.”

I looked at my daughter.

Then at the shattered camera.

Then at Callum.

And smiled.

Not because I enjoyed any of this.

Because Callum had just confirmed the one thing I had desperately hoped I was wrong about.

“You were wrong from the very beginning.”

His face changed.

The anger disappeared.

For the first time all afternoon—

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Callum looked afraid.

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