Chapter 2 - The Setup
My brother's hands were cold and surprisingly strong as he slammed me against the hallway wall.
The framed photographs of my daughter crashed to the floor, shattering into dozens of sharp pieces.
My mother did not try to stop him.
Instead, she frantically gathered the insurance documents from the console table and shoved them into her designer purse.
"Hold her down, Julian," my father ordered, rushing into the kitchen to search my drawers.
I kicked out wildly, my heel connecting with Julian's knee.
He cursed and loosened his grip just enough for me to slip away.
I sprinted toward the front door, gasping for air as the cold afternoon wind hit my face.
Red and blue flashing lights were already tearing down my quiet suburban street.
I waved my arms frantically, feeling a massive wave of relief wash over me.
Three police cruisers skidded to a halt on my front lawn.
Officers jumped out with their weapons drawn, shouting orders to get on the ground.
I pointed back toward my open front door.
"My brother is inside, and he killed my husband!" I screamed through my tears.
The lead detective walked straight past my outstretched arm.
He grabbed my wrists, twisted them behind my back, and slapped cold steel handcuffs onto me.
"Maya Vance, you are under arrest for corporate embezzlement and tax fraud," the detective announced loudly.
I stared at him in absolute shock as my parents walked out onto the porch.
My mother was holding a handkerchief to her dry eyes, playing the role of a devastated parent.
"We tried to talk her into turning herself in," my father told the detective with a fake sigh of disappointment.
Julian stood behind them, giving me a sinister, victorious smile.
They had framed me for Julian's missing restaurant funds to silence me forever.
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As the officer pushed me into the back of the cruiser, my phone buzzed in my pocket with a text message from an unknown number.
The message simply read, "Do exactly what the lawyer says, or they will kill you tonight."
