During a family dinner, my older sister introduced her boyfriend—and for some reason he kept staring at me. He asked what I did for a living. I answered. At that exact moment, my mother slammed a wrench across my face for “talking back.” They all burst out laughing. “At least you’re pretty now,” my sister mocked. “One hit isn’t enough,” she added. My mother tossed the wrench to her. “Your turn.” I tried to shield myself. My father grabbed my arms. Everything went dark. They were still smiling beside my sister’s boyfriend—as if I were…

I stared at the thick piece of parchment paper fluttering in Marsha's hand.

The police officer sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"If there is a signed commercial lease involved, this just became a civil matter," he muttered.

"I cannot arrest her for being on the property if she has a legal claim to the land."

Marsha smiled a wicked, triumphant smile and leaned against her luxury car.

"I want you and your brats off my property by tomorrow morning," she sneered.

"If you are not gone, the bulldozers will arrive and handle the eviction for me."

I squeezed my children's hands tightly, refusing to let them see me panic.

"Evan does not have the legal authority to sign a lease for land he does not own," I stated clearly.

"We will see what the judge says about that," Marsha laughed, sliding into the driver's seat.

She sped away, leaving black tire marks on the asphalt in front of my driveway.

The officer tipped his hat to me and slowly walked back to his cruiser.

I guided my terrified twins back inside the house and locked the heavy oak door.

I immediately pulled out my cell phone and dialed my husband's number.

The phone rang five times before it went directly to his secure voicemail.

Evan had been claiming to be on a corporate business trip in Chicago for the last three days.

I sent him a desperate text message demanding to know what he had signed.

A few minutes later, the front door lock clicked, and the heavy door swung open.

Evan stood in the foyer, holding a massive travel duffel bag and looking completely exhausted.

He was definitely not in Chicago.

"I am so sorry, Sarah," Evan whispered, avoiding my eyes.

"I did not think my mother would act this quickly."

I backed away from the man I had been married to for four years.

"You gave her the right to destroy our home?" I asked, my voice trembling with rage.

Evan dropped his bag onto the floor and finally looked up at me.

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She found her husband with another woman and walked away so quietly that...

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"I had to give her the lease," he confessed, tears welling in his eyes.

"If I did not give her the land, they were going to kill me."

Chapter 2 - The Ground Lease