My father hurled a wine glass into my face during Easter dinner because I would not give my sister my home, and my mother gestured toward the blood and said, “You have rooms sitting empty.” They expected me to break down, apologize, and place my keys in Bethany’s hand right there between the glazed ham and pastel-colored eggs—until I drove myself to the emergency room and texted my attorney, “Phase One Is Complete.”

Without a single moment of hesitation, Madison pulled the safety pin on the fire extinguisher.

She squeezed the handle and unleashed a massive blast of thick white chemical foam directly into her grandfather's face.

My father dropped the burning flare in absolute shock as the foam blinded him and smothered the sparks.

The flare hit the hardwood floor, sputtering harmlessly under the thick blanket of fire retardant.

"Go! Go! Go!" the SWAT commander yelled.

The tactical team breached the broken window and the front door simultaneously.

Heavily armed officers swarmed the living room, tackling my father to the ground before he could wipe the foam from his eyes.

I watched in breathless anticipation as the officers secured the area and shouted the all-clear.

A moment later, an officer walked out the front door carrying Tyler in his arms, followed closely by Madison.

I broke through the police line and ran toward them, tears streaming down my face.

I pulled both children into a tight embrace, sobbing into their shoulders as they hugged me back.

"You were so brave, Madison," I whispered, kissing the top of her head.

Two officers dragged my father out of the house in handcuffs, his face covered in white foam and absolute defeat.

Bethany was escorted out a minute later, weeping uncontrollably as an officer read her her Miranda rights.

She looked at me, her eyes pleading for a mercy she did not deserve.

"Sally, please, we are sisters," Bethany cried out desperately.

I stood up, holding Madison's hand tightly, and looked my sister dead in the eyes.

"No, Bethany," I said with perfect, icy calm.

"We are just people who used to know each other."

The police loaded my father, my mother, and my sister into separate cruisers and drove them away into the night.

Kenneth's parents, who were decent and normal people, arrived shortly after to take custody of the children.

The street finally grew quiet, leaving me alone in the cool night air.

The crime scene unit cleared my property, allowing me to finally step back inside my own home.

The house was a disaster, smelling of gasoline and covered in foam, but it was mine again.

The Billionaire Put On a Waiter’s Apron to Test His Fiancée, but the Wom...

My father bet twenty dollars that I would walk through his front door al...

My Husband Slapped Me Out of His House for His Mistress, Then the Most F...

I walked into the living room, ready to begin the long process of cleaning up my life.

That was when I noticed a large hole smashed into the drywall behind where my sofa used to sit.

Chapter 9 - The Rescue