Because sometimes smiling is the only thing keeping you from breaking.
Then I looked up—
And my heart stopped.
One of the guests was my sister, Rachel.
I hadn’t seen her in two years.
She recognized me instantly—but she was smarter. She pretended not to.
But she watched everything.
My trembling hands.
My forced smile.
The way I flinched every time Daniel’s voice echoed from another room.
When she followed me into the kitchen, she closed the door.
“Linda… what’s going on?”
I almost told her.
I almost broke.
But then I heard the front door.
Daniel was home early.
I walked out with dessert, my heart collapsing inside my chest.
He played the perfect son.
“My mom is incredible. Always takes care of everything.”
His hand squeezed my shoulder.
Too tight.
Rachel saw it.
When she left, she whispered:
“I’m getting you out of here. Hold on.”
I didn’t even have time to process it.
Because minutes later, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
“Ms. Carter? This is accounting from your son’s company. We need you here immediately. There are irregular financial transactions under your name.”
My blood turned to ice.
Before I could think, Daniel walked out and said something that made my lungs stop working: