Chapter 1 – Fifteen Minutes
Chapter 1 – Fifteen Minutes
The smell of burned porridge hit Mason Carter before he unlocked the front door.
His heart sank.
He had come home early to surprise his family.
Instead, he stepped into silence.
The kitchen was a disaster.
Dirty dishes overflowed from the sink.
Laundry baskets blocked the hallway.
Half-empty coffee cups covered the dining table.
At the stove stood his wife, Emma.
She was six months pregnant.
Their four-year-old son, Noah, slept weakly against her shoulder, his forehead burning with fever.
Emma stirred the pot with one hand while gently rocking Noah with the other.
She looked exhausted.
"Mason..."
She tried to smile.
"I'm sorry dinner's late."
He crossed the room immediately.
"You should be resting."
Before Emma could answer, laughter echoed from the living room.
Mason turned.
His mother, Judith, sat comfortably beneath a designer blanket while watching television.
His younger sister, Claire, scrolled through social media with an iced coffee in one hand.
Empty takeout containers surrounded them.
Judith looked up casually.
"Oh, you're home early."
Mason glanced from the overflowing trash to his wife.
"I thought you came to help."
Judith shrugged.
"We're guests."
Emma quickly interrupted.
"They've been busy."
Mason knew that tone.
She was protecting them.
Again.
He quietly carried Noah to the couch and checked his temperature.
Then he stood.
"You have fifteen minutes."
Judith frowned.
"For what?"
"To pack your belongings."
May you like
"And leave my house."
The room became completely silent.
