Chapter 1
The file loaded on her screen.
A small blue loading bar filled up.
Then,
the living room came into view.
The colors were sharp.
The lighting was clear.
The audio was flawless.
Alice watched herself walk out of the hallway.
She looked exhausted.
She looked confused.
Then,
she heard Briana’s voice echoing through the phone speaker.
Loud,
entitled,
and perfectly captured.
"Grab some trash bags and clean this up,"
the recording played.
Alice felt her heart pounding against her ribs.
She watched herself refuse.
She watched Patricia walk in.
The sweet,
poisonous smile was caught on camera.
The toxic words,
the command to submit,
it was all there.
And then,
Frank.
He stomped into the frame.
His face was red with fury.
His chest was puffed out.
He looked like a monster in high definition.
Alice held her breath.
She watched his arm pull back.
She heard the sickening,
loud smack of his hand striking her face.
The sound made her flinch in the dark bedroom.
In the video,
her head snapped to the side.
Frank’s hateful words rang out.
"Under my roof,
you show respect."
It was undeniable.
It was brutal.
It was perfect.
Alice did not cry.
She smiled.
A cold,
calculated smile.
She immediately pressed download.
The file saved to her phone.
She uploaded it to her secure cloud drive.
She emailed a copy to her work address.
She sent another to a private server.
She was not taking any chances.
Frank thought he was untouchable.
Patricia thought she controlled the narrative.
Kevin thought he could sweep it under the rug.
They were all wrong.
Alice opened her contacts.
She scrolled down to the letter M.
Marcus.
Marcus was her oldest friend.
He was also one of the most ruthless family law attorneys in Chicago.
She typed a message.
"Marcus,
I need you.
It's an emergency.
I am leaving Kevin.
I need to secure my assets.
And I have a video of his father assaulting me."
She hit send.
The time was 2:15 AM.
She didn't expect a reply until morning.
But three dots appeared immediately.
Marcus was awake.
His reply came ten seconds later.
"Call me right now."
Alice slipped out of bed.
She walked to the window,
looking out at the quiet suburban street.
She dialed his number.
He answered on the first ring.
"Tell me everything,"
Marcus said.
His voice was sharp.
It was the voice of a man ready for war.
Alice took a deep breath.
She told him about the party.
The mess.
The demands.
The slap.
The knife.
The cowardice of her husband.
She spoke for twenty minutes without stopping.
When she finished,
Marcus was dead silent.
Then,
he exhaled slowly.
"Send me the video,"
he said.
"And Alice?
May you like
Do exactly what I say.
We are going to destroy them."
