Chapter 2 - The FallIt happened in less than five seconds.
I had stepped into the master bathroom, leaving three-week-old Toby asleep in his bassinet near the doorway. I needed five minutes. Just five minutes to wash my face, catch my breath, and gather the strength to face another evening with Evelyn.
The door burst open without a knock.
Mark stood in the frame, his eyes bloodshot, his jaw clenching violently. Behind him, standing in the dim hallway, was Evelyn. She wasn't holding a tray of food or a warm blanket.
She was holding my screaming infant son in her arms, watching me with a look of terrifying indifference.
"Mark?" I gasped, trying to stand up from the toilet seat. "What's wrong? Why is Toby crying?"
"You left him!" Mark roared, stepping into the small bathroom. "You left him alone to cry while you hide in here! You're an unfit mother!"
"I was in here for two minutes!" I cried out, reaching past him toward my baby. "Give him to me!"
Before I could take a step, Mark reached out and shoved me back. My head struck the edge of the towel rack. Pain exploded behind my eyes. As I stumbled, Mark leaned down, buried his hand into my damp hair, and dragged me across the cold tile floor.
"Mark! Stop! You're hurting me!" I screamed, thrashing against his grip.
He didn't speak. He simply dragged me toward the doorway, his face contorted in a dark, unfamiliar rage.
I looked up from the floor, my eyes pleading with Evelyn. "Evelyn, please! Stop him! Help me!"
Evelyn didn't move. She didn't flinch. She simply adjusted the blanket around my crying baby, holding him tight against her chest, and looked down at me as if I were a stray animal being removed from the house.
"You need to calm down, Clara," Evelyn said in a chillingly flat, even voice. "You're making a scene."
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Desperation gave me a burst of strength. I kicked backward, my heel catching Mark directly in the shin. He swore loudly, his grip loosening for a fraction of a second. I broke free, scrambled onto my knees, and lunged forward.
I didn't run for the hallway. I snatched my baby right out of Evelyn's arms, slammed my body back inside the bathroom, and kicked the heavy wooden door shut.
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