Chapter 1 - The Ice Water
Lucas stared at the black bag hidden beneath his mother's bed.
His heart pounded violently in his chest as the terrifying reality of the situation finally sank in.
Gwendolyn stood frozen by the mattress, her eyes darting nervously toward the open doorway.
Before she could formulate another lie, Lucas slowly pulled his smartphone from his coat pocket.
He had already hit the record button the moment he heard his mother crying from the hallway.
The camera had captured everything, including the exact moment Gwendolyn violently gripped Florence’s delicate jaw.
But Gwendolyn did not know about the recording yet.
She quickly grabbed a heavy glass pitcher from the wooden nightstand to cover her tracks.
"I was just trying to cool her down," Gwendolyn lied with a sickeningly sweet, entirely fake smile.
She suddenly tipped the pitcher forward, pouring freezing ice water directly over Florence's frail, trembling chest.
"Even your suffering is a massive burden to this family," Gwendolyn hissed under her breath.
Lucas did not argue or yell in response to her horrific cruelty.
He simply raised his phone higher, ensuring the camera captured the abuse in crystal clear high definition.
Florence gasped desperately for air as the freezing water soaked entirely through her thin cotton nightgown.
Lucas stepped forward and forcefully shoved his wife away from the hospital bed.
"Get out of this room right now," Lucas commanded with a terrifying, icy calm.
Gwendolyn scoffed loudly, crossing her arms in a display of pure, arrogant defiance.
"You need me, Lucas, because you cannot possibly care for her all alone," she sneered.
Lucas completely ignored her and immediately dialed the personal cell phone number of Dr. Evans, their longtime family physician.
He demanded the doctor come to the house immediately for a severe, life-threatening medical emergency.
Dr. Evans arrived twenty minutes later, rushing frantically into the bedroom with his heavy medical bag.
The experienced doctor gently examined the dark purple bruises covering Florence's arms, neck, and shoulders.
He then opened the black bag Lucas had pulled from beneath the dusty bed frame.
The doctor's face turned completely pale as he inspected the expensive, unopened medication bottles.
"These are absolutely not the heart medications I prescribed for your mother," Dr. Evans whispered in absolute horror.
Lucas felt all the air leave his exhausted lungs.
"What exactly are they?" Lucas asked, his hands trembling with fear.
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Dr. Evans held up a small, unlabeled vial filled with a clear, thick liquid.
"This is a lethal dose of unauthorized paralytics, and if she takes one more pill, her heart will permanently stop."
