Chapter 5

Kathern parked her scooter on the curb outside Gussie's apartment building. She grabbed the plastic bags filled with heavy bottles of bleach and surface cleaner from the floorboard and marched up the three flights of stairs.

She shoved her key into the lock and pushed the door open. The deafening sound of a reality TV show blasted from the living room.

Glenwood was sprawled across the center of the sofa. One leg was thrown over the armrest. He was aggressively chewing a handful of potato chips, letting the greasy crumbs fall freely onto the carpet.

He turned his head as Kathern walked in. A nasty smirk twisted his lips.

"Look who's back," Glenwood mocked loudly over the TV. "Couldn't find a sucker to take you in, huh?"

Kathern didn't even look at him. She walked straight past the sofa and went into the guest room. She grabbed the handle of her massive, pre-packed suitcase and dragged it out into the hallway.

The hard plastic wheels scraped loudly against the wooden floorboards.

Gussie ran out of the kitchen. Her hands were covered in thick white dish soap bubbles. When she saw the suitcase, her face crumpled. Tears instantly spilled over her eyelashes.

Gussie rushed forward and grabbed the top of the suitcase with her wet hands.

"Kathern, please don't do this," Gussie cried, her voice trembling. "I'll find a night shift. I'll pay your half of the rent. Just don't leave."

Glenwood snorted loudly from the sofa.

"If you take one dime of my money to pay for her," Glenwood threatened, pointing a greasy finger at Gussie, "I'll file for divorce tomorrow."

A surge of pure, hot rage shot through Kathern's veins. She snapped her head toward the sofa and glared at Glenwood with such violent intensity that he physically recoiled, pulling his leg off the armrest.

Kathern turned back to her sister. She reached out and gently wiped the tears off Gussie's cheek with her thumb. She grabbed Gussie's wrist and pulled her toward the small dining table.

Kathern unzipped the front pocket of her backpack. She pulled out the marriage certificate-the thin piece of paper she had picked up at City Hall- and slammed it down onto the wooden table.

Gussie stared at it. Her hands shook as she reached out and picked it up.

Gussie's eyes locked onto the official seal and the two names printed on the marriage certificate. Her breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes widened in absolute horror.

Gussie jumped up from the chair so fast it tipped over and crashed onto the floor.

"What is this?" Gussie gasped, pointing a shaking finger at the paper. "What did you do?"

The crash made Glenwood sit up. He walked over to the table and looked down at the certificate. He threw his head back and let out a loud, barking laugh.

"You actually did it," Glenwood sneered. "You dragged some homeless bum off the street to marry you just so you wouldn't have to pay rent."

Kathern's hand shot out. She grabbed the half-full glass of cold water sitting on the table and threw the liquid directly into Glenwood's face.

Glenwood shrieked. The cold water dripped down his nose and soaked his shirt. His face turned purple with rage. He raised his fist and lunged toward her.

Kathern's hand darted to the heavy ceramic fruit bowl on the table. She gripped its thick rim, her knuckles turning white, and lifted it like a bludgeon. Her eyes were completely dead, devoid of any hesitation.

"Take one more step," Kathern whispered, her voice dangerously low.

Glenwood froze. He stared at the heavy ceramic object poised to smash his skull, then looked at the absolute lack of fear in Kathern's eyes. He cursed under his breath, wiped his wet face with his sleeve, and backed away, retreating into his bedroom.

The living room fell dead silent. Gussie collapsed onto the floor. She buried her face in her hands, trembling not just from the marriage certificate, but from the sheer, terrifying escalation of violence she had just witnessed, and began to wail.

Gussie grabbed the fabric of Kathern's jeans. "It's my fault," she sobbed hysterically. "You sold yourself to some old creep because I'm too weak to protect you. You ruined your life for me."

Hearing the raw agony in her sister's voice made Kathern's throat burn. Her own eyes filled with hot tears.

She dropped the heavy bowl on the table and dropped to her knees. She wrapped her arms tightly around Gussie's shaking shoulders, pressing her face into her sister's hair.

"I didn't sell myself," Kathern said fiercely into Gussie's ear. "He's a good person. I promise you."

Gussie shook her head wildly, refusing to listen, just repeating the word 'sorry' over and over again.

From the bedroom, Cody woke up from the shouting. He started screaming at the top of his lungs. The sound of her baby crying snapped Gussie out of her spiral. She sucked in a ragged breath and stopped crying.

Kathern grabbed Gussie's arms and pulled her up from the floor. She smoothed down Gussie's messy hair, her mind racing to build a story that would stop her sister's heart from breaking.