Chapter 1
I came home and found my four-year-old daughter kneeling on the kitchen floor while my wife struck both of her tiny hands with a thin switch. Vanessa claimed Sophie had been “disrespectful”—but my daughter was crying because she had overheard a phone call she was never supposed to hear.
I had left our house outside Charlotte that morning expecting another late night at work.
But a client canceled, so I came home three hours early.
The moment I opened the door, I heard Sophie crying.
“Please, Vanessa… my hands hurt.”
I dropped my briefcase and ran toward the kitchen.
Sophie was kneeling on the hardwood floor with her hands stretched in front of her.
Vanessa stood over her holding a thin wooden switch.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Vanessa spun around.
Sophie immediately screamed, “Daddy!”
I rushed over, lifted my daughter into my arms, and saw red marks across her little palms.
My stomach turned.
“You hit her?”
Vanessa threw the switch onto the counter.
“She was being disrespectful.”
“She’s four years old!”
Sophie wrapped both arms around my neck and sobbed.
“I wasn’t bad, Daddy.”
I looked at Vanessa.
“Then tell me exactly what she did.”
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“She refused to listen and started making up disgusting lies about me.”
Sophie suddenly lifted her head.
“I heard Vanessa talking on the phone.”
Vanessa’s face changed.
“What phone call?” I asked.
Sophie sniffled.
“She told a man she loves him.”
Vanessa rushed toward us.
“Stop lying!”
Sophie tried to speak again.
“And she said when Daddy—”
Vanessa suddenly lunged forward and clamped her hand over Sophie’s mouth.
I grabbed Vanessa’s wrist and pulled her away.
“DON’T TOUCH HER!”
For the first time, Vanessa looked frightened.
Sophie buried her face against me.
“She said you’ll be gone soon, Daddy.”
The room went completely silent.
I stared at my wife.
“What does that mean?”
Vanessa shook her head quickly.
“She misunderstood.”
Then Sophie whispered, “The man said your company will belong to them after Friday.”
My chest tightened.
Friday was the day I was scheduled to sign documents giving Vanessa temporary authority over several business accounts while I traveled overseas.
I slowly pulled out my phone.
Vanessa stepped toward me.
“Daniel, don’t do anything stupid.”
That was when another phone started ringing from inside her purse.
I reached it before she could.
The screen showed one name.
“Michael Harris.”
My best friend and business partner for seventeen years.
May you like
And beneath his name was a message that made Vanessa go completely pale.
“Did the kid tell him about us yet?”
