Chapter 1

I was at the farmers' market picking out crab when a voice message came in from my husband, Russ, who was supposed to be at work.

"Babe, hurry home. I left in such a rush this morning I don't think I shut off the gas!"

"Little Bo's still asleep at home. I'm scared something's going to happen. Please run back and check!"

My chest went tight. I dropped the bag and was about to bolt when a line of warning cues flashed before my eyes.

【Don't go back! Russ did this on purpose!】

【He never went to work this morning. He smothered Little Bo with his own hands, then turned on the gas.】

【Now he's waiting for you to open that door and take the fall, so he can sue for divorce on grounds that you killed your son through negligence and throw you out with nothing.】

The words drained the blood out of me. The foot I'd already stepped forward froze and pulled back on its own.

I stood locked in place, the phone still showing Russ's messages urging me on.

I shut my eyes and pulled in a deep breath.

【Run, girl. His mistress is already five months pregnant. They're just waiting to profit off your son's death.】

My throat closed. Slowly, I set the car keys back down.

...

I'd barely cleared the market by two steps when a savage pain tore across my scalp.

"What are you running for! In a hurry to get yourself killed?!"

I stumbled, turned, and met my mother-in-law's face, twisted with rage.

"Half an hour just to buy groceries! Are you trying to starve me to death on purpose?"

My scalp throbbed, numb with pain, her cursing filling my ears.

I had no time for her.

I had to get back and see for myself that Little Bo was safe.

"Ma, let go! The gas at home isn't shut off, and Little Bo's still inside!"

I clawed at her fingers, and instead of letting go, she slapped the back of my hand.

"Don't hide behind the kid! You just don't want to go home and cook!"

"Gas isn't off? Did you leave the house without a brain in your head?"

Panic burned my eyes red, and I wrenched my arm free hard.

Her foot slipped, and she went straight down onto the ground with it, wailing at the top of her lungs.

"She's hitting me! My daughter-in-law is beating her mother-in-law!"

"I don't want to live anymore! All I did was say a few words to her, and she wants to kill me, an old woman!"

That one shriek, and a crowd closed into a ring around me, boxing me in tight.

Someone even pulled out a phone and started filming me.

I looked at the road, packed solid with people, and the tears just came.

"Move! Please, move! I have to get home and save my son!"

I tried to push past the woman holding up her phone in front of me, and she shoved me right back.

"Oh, would you look at this? A young person, and you're getting physical too?"

"Right? Beat your mother-in-law like that and you still think you're going to run off?"

Hearing that, my mother-in-law wailed even louder.

"You people don't know, she abuses my grandson at home all the time!"

The accusations came flooding at me all at once.

"Looks so meek, but her heart's black as coal."

"Somebody call the police and grab her, don't let her get away."

Right then the phone in my pocket buzzed like mad. Russ.

Hands shaking, I hit answer and put it on speaker.

Russ's voice came through the speaker, frantic and thick with tears.

"Babe, where are you? Please, hurry!"

"I just called the building office. They said the stairwell reeks of gas!"

"Little Bo's in there all alone. I'm begging you, run back and open the door!"

The looks around me turned to pure contempt.

"You hear that? Look how frantic her husband is, and she's here beating his mother."

I gripped the phone hard, staring at Russ's name on the screen.

The warning cues drifted past my eyes again.

【Your mother-in-law is stalling you here on purpose.】

【Russ has timed the gas leak. Once the concentration is high enough, the moment you open that door it'll set off a chain of explosions.】

Cold sweat broke over me at those lines, my breath stopping short.

I couldn't lose my head. Little Bo was still waiting for me.

I had to call the police.

Ignoring the abuse around me, I cut off Russ's call, switched to the dialer, and pressed 911.

My mother-in-law shot up off the ground, snatched the phone out of my hand, and smashed it hard against the pavement.

The screen shattered instantly.

"Call the police for what! Don't air dirty laundry, haven't you shamed us enough?!"

I stared blankly at the broken phone on the ground. My only lifeline was gone.

A deep, helpless despair took hold of me, and my whole body was shaking.

Just as I was about to throw myself at the crowd no matter what, a furious shout came from the edge of it.

"What's going on here! Blocking the entrance so nobody can do business?!"

The market manager shoved his way in, a big bullhorn in his hand.

He glanced at my mother-in-law, still throwing her fit.

"That's enough, ma'am. Keep this up and I'll report you for disorderly conduct!"

My mother-in-law froze, and I didn't waste a second.

I shoved the person in front of me aside and ran like I'd lost my mind, straight toward the apartment complex.