Chapter 9 - The Threshold
Kristen looked around the grand foyer, searching desperately for leverage, but there was none left. She grabbed Leo by the hand, yanking him up from the sofa.
“Come on, Leo. We’re leaving your useless father and his wicked mother behind,” she snapped, dragging the confused little boy toward the door.
“Leave Leo here,” Patrick said suddenly, his voice surprisingly firm.
Kristen stopped, her hand on the brass doorknob. “Excuse me?”
“Leave him here with Mom and Daniel,” Patrick said, stepping between Kristen and the door. “He hasn't eaten. He’s scared. And I will not have him sitting in a car while you scream down the interstate. You go to your mother’s house. I’ll bring Leo home tomorrow.”
“If I walk out that door without my son, Patrick, our marriage is over!” she threatened, her voice screeching in the quiet foyer.
Patrick didn't flinch. He looked at the woman who had slowly poisoned his relationships, stripped him of his dignity, and turned him against his own blood.
“Then I guess our marriage is over,” Patrick said quietly.
May you like
Kristen stared at him in utter disbelief. Seeing no weakness left to exploit, she ripped open the front door, slammed it behind her so violently that the glass panes rattled, and drove off into the night with tires squealing against the gravel driveway.
The quiet that settled over the Vance family home was profound. For several long minutes, nobody moved. The sound of the wind rattling against the porch shutters was the only reminder of the outside world.
