My Brother's Lies, My Fiancé's Betrayal

am, leaving my mother and me alone in our isolated lake house. I had a prem

ers stormed our home, and my mother too

g and desperate, to my fiancé Cristofer

me you'd pull a

attention, then beat me until I tas

d branded me a liar while my mother was dying. Th

was the sheriff, confirming a 911 call about a home i

es was about to c

pte

use matches or gasoline, but a sweet, venomous smile from his new

y dense forest, and fortified with a security team Dad spared no expe

se?" Mom's voice was a sof

catching in my throat. I knew it wasn't the wind. The metallic clang had been too sharp, too precise. It had been a premonit

rling vortex of white. A blizzard. It had hit fast, blanketing everything, making the familia

again, oblivious. Her voice was like a lullaby, comple

snow-covered driveway. It was too quiet. The usual hum of security

t what? Broderick and Brenna are having a wonderful ti

ted out, the words tumbling over each other. "All of them. For

eyes. "What are you talking about? That's no

s around, wanting a 'romantic, private' weekend. And Broderick, idiot that he is, bought it." The memory o

es darted to the window, then back to me. A sliver of fear

the windows. My hands trembled, not from the cold outside, but from the cold dread s

itched. It was the old gate leading to the boathouse, the one Broderick always ins

" Mom whispered

Broderick had left us exposed. He had stri

e, the systems are always on," Mom insisted, her voice rising in

Mom. Brenna said the alarms were 'too loud' and 'star

, ugly and undeniable, settled between us. H

frozen screen of my phone. The line rang, once, tw

rately calm, even as my heart threatened to ex

ible odds, you didn't wait for a miracle. You beca

me weather conditions, response times are significantly

e. The blizzard was our enemy's ally, buying them p

s shattering, a sound that ripped through the quiet house and tore through my premonit

ck! Thank God!" she cried, snatching up the phone. "Broderick, we're being attacked! There are people in the house, t

ell him to send the guards bac

and disbelieving, met mine. "He... he said it's probably just a prank.

ld. "He thinks this is a prank? Mom, tel

rick, listen to me. This isn't a prank. Your sister is bleeding,

Hayden's always been trouble, Mom. Always seeking attention.