He screamed, “Then run to your parents—hope you freeze!” and shoved me into the snow, slamming the door while I stood trembling in nothing but my nightgown. My knuckles ached as I raised a rock to shatter the window—until our elderly neighbor stepped into the porch light. She whispered, “My son is your husband’s boss. Come inside. By morning… he’ll be begging.” I followed her—never guessing what she planned next.
He screamed, “Then run to your parents—hope you freeze!” and shoved me onto the porch so hard my bare feet hit the ice. The door slammed. The deadbolt clicked. I stood there in nothing but my thin cotton nightgown, the wind slicing through it like it wasn’t even fabric. “Ethan!” I pounded the door with…