Chapter 4

Ethan saw Sarah's packed suitcase by the door. A small, worn bag.

"You're leaving?" he asked, a flicker of something – panic? – in his eyes.

"Yes," Sarah said.

"But... where will you go?" He seemed genuinely concerned, or perhaps it was part of the act. "We can visit Mrs. Miller tomorrow. Together. I' ll arrange everything."

Sarah didn't reply. She picked up her suitcase.

She went to Mary's tiny, rented apartment. The one Mary had struggled to afford.

The air was still, heavy with her mother's absence.

She found photos of herself and Ethan, smiling, happy. Photos Mary had proudly displayed.

Cheap souvenirs Ethan had given Mary, trinkets he probably bought without a second thought.

Untouched nutritional supplement drinks Mary had saved, insisting they were for Sarah and Ethan, for when they "needed a boost."

And boxes of handmade greeting cards. Mary sold them at local craft fairs, painstakingly crafting each one, to earn a little extra money. Money for Ethan's "debt."

Sarah sat on Mary's worn armchair, the grief a fresh wave. She picked up a photo of herself and Ethan, their arms around Mary.

She carefully tore the photo, separating Ethan from herself and her mother. She kept the piece with just her and Mary. The others, the ones of just her and Ethan, she ripped into tiny pieces.

The next morning, Sarah went back to the Innovate Solutions subsidiary one last time. To collect her final paycheck.

Her old desk was already occupied. By Brittany Alistair.

Brittany looked up, a triumphant glint in her eyes. She slid a cashier's check across the desk.

"One hundred thousand dollars," Brittany said, her voice dripping with condescension. "For the desk. And for you to vanish gracefully."

Sarah looked at the check, then at Brittany. She picked it up.

Colleagues nearby stared, whispering.

Just then, Ethan appeared in the doorway. He saw the check in Sarah's hand.

"What's this?" he demanded.

Sarah showed him. "I accepted her offer. One hundred thousand."

Ethan' s face contorted. He looked from Sarah to Brittany, his eyes blazing.

Sarah turned and walked away, the check in her purse.

As she left, she heard a sharp sound. Ethan had slapped Brittany. Hard.

"Don't you ever humiliate her like that again!" Ethan's voice was a roar.

Her phone buzzed. A text from Ethan.

"The top pulmonologist I hired is at County General for your mom. Dr. Albrightson. He's the best."

A minute later, another text.

"Sarah, your mom isn't at the hospital. The staff said she was discharged. Where is she?!"

And then, a few minutes after that, a final, frantic message.

"Sarah... Mary... what happened...? Please, tell me what happened to Mary."