Chapter 1
My husband started hitting me with his belt because I opened a savings account for our daughter without asking him. His mother stood nearby with her arms crossed and watched like I deserved it.
I had just put six-year-old Sophie to bed when Michael found the bank statement.
He stormed into the kitchen holding it.
“What is this?”
I looked at the paper.
“It’s Sophie’s savings account.”
His face hardened.
“You opened an account behind my back?”
“It’s for her future.”
Michael slammed the statement onto the counter.
“My money goes where I say it goes.”
“I used part of my own paycheck.”
That answer made him even angrier.
He pulled the belt from his waist.
I backed away.
“Michael, don’t.”
The first strike landed across my arm.
I screamed.
His mother, Diane, was standing near the dining table.
She didn’t move.
“Tell your son to stop!”
Diane folded her arms.
“You should have discussed finances with your husband.”
Michael swung the belt again.
I tried to shield myself.
“I was saving for our daughter!”
“You were hiding money from me!”
Another strike made me stumble against the kitchen cabinet.
Then I heard a tiny voice from the hallway.
“Daddy, stop hurting Mommy.”
Michael froze.
Sophie was standing there in her pajamas, crying.
I rushed toward her and pulled her behind me.
Diane snapped, “Put that child back to bed.”
Sophie shook her head.
Then she reached into her pajama pocket.
“I know why Daddy doesn’t want Mommy saving money.”
Michael’s face suddenly changed.
“Sophie, go upstairs.”
But she held out a folded piece of paper.
“I found this in Daddy’s office.”
I opened it.
May you like
At the top was another bank account.
And underneath Michael’s name was a woman’s name I had never seen before.
