My husband slammed my head against the bathroom mirror until it cracked, angry that I asked about his missing paycheck. I slid to the floor, dizzy and bleeding. His mother walked in, checked her reflection in the unbroken piece of glass, and muttered, “Clean this mess up.” His father handed him a beer. “Don’t let her stress you out, son.” I slowly reached into my pocket, not for a tissue, but to press the silent panic button on the heavy keychain my brother—a federal DEA agent—had given me for “emergencies.”
Chapter 1: The Shattered Reflection The mirror fractured a fraction of a second before the blinding wave of pain registered My husband,Dean, still had his thick, calloused fingers tangled ruthlessly …
My husband slammed my head against the bathroom mirror until it cracked, angry that I asked about his missing paycheck. I slid to the floor, dizzy and bleeding. His mother walked in, checked her reflection in the unbroken piece of glass, and muttered, “Clean this mess up.” His father handed him a beer. “Don’t let her stress you out, son.” I slowly reached into my pocket, not for a tissue, but to press the silent panic button on the heavy keychain my brother—a federal DEA agent—had given me for “emergencies.” Read More