Easter~
I sat on the edge of the couch, clutching my hands together so tightly that my fingers began to hurt. My heart pounded in my chest, beating against my ribs like it was desperate for freedom. Any other morning, my husband would have been gone by now—out of the house by seven, like clockwork. But today? Today, of all days, he sat slouched on the couch, scrolling through his phone with an expression I couldn't understand.
It was already 9:00 a.m.
He was supposed to be gone.
I stole a glance at the clock on the wall, my stomach twisting. I was supposed to meet Natalie at ten, drop Rose off at daycare, and finally—finally—take the first step toward escaping this nightmare. But he was still here. A heavy presence, a shadow looming over every fragile hope I had managed to build.
