I came home early hoping to surprise my mother and wife, but what I saw in the kitchen stopped me in my tracks. Mom was in:ju:red, shaking with hunger, and desperately eating scraps while my wife relaxed nearby, laughing over a glass of wine. “She’s just being dramatic,” my wife said. I looked at the marks on my mother, quietly locked the front door, and whispered, “Enjoy that wine. By tomorrow, you may have nothing left to celebrate.”

Three large men stepped out of the unmarked white van.

They weren't wearing state medical uniforms; they were dressed in dark tactical gear without any official badges.

Marcus had apparently decided not to wait for the legal system to do his dirty work.

I sprinted back into Mom's room and gently shook her awake.

"Mom, you need to get up right now," I whispered urgently, helping her sit up.

"What's happening, Luca? Are they here for me?" she asked, panic edging into her fragile voice.

"I'm not going to let them take you, but we need to move," I promised, pulling a heavy sweater over her shoulders.

I heard the heavy thud of a fist pounding against our front door.

Wendy’s bedroom door swung open, and she marched down the stairs with a triumphant grin.

"Right on time," Wendy called out, unlocking the deadbolt and throwing the front door open.

Marcus stood on the porch, flanked by the three massive thugs.

"We came early to avoid any unnecessary neighborhood drama," Marcus said, stepping into the foyer.

"Where is she?" he demanded, looking directly at Wendy.

"Upstairs in the guest room, she's all yours," Wendy sneered, pointing toward the staircase.

I positioned myself at the top of the stairs, blocking the hallway entirely.

"Nobody is going into that room," I stated, my voice echoing loudly through the house.

Marcus laughed, a dry, humorless sound that sent shivers down my spine.

"You don't have a choice, Mr. Vance. We have a court order."

"Actually, you don't," I replied, pulling my phone from my pocket.

"As of 4:30 AM, your medical license was officially red-flagged in the state database."

Marcus stopped halfway up the stairs, his smug expression instantly vanishing.

"Every psych hold you've authorized in the last forty-eight hours has been legally suspended pending a federal fraud review."

Wendy gasped, grabbing the banister for support as she stared up at me.

"You're lying, you're just a stupid accountant!" she screamed.

I looked down at the woman I had loved for six years, feeling absolutely nothing but cold disgust.

"I am an accountant, Wendy, which means I know exactly how to track every stolen dollar you sent to the Cayman Islands."

Wendy’s face drained of all color, realizing her entire safety net was gone.

Marcus slowly reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

"The paperwork doesn't matter anymore, Luca," Marcus said softly.

He pulled out a suppressed handgun and aimed it directly at my chest.

Chapter 6 - The Poisoned Apple