Chapter 3: The Catalyst
Safe inside the locked master bathroom, Clara ran cool water over her burned palms. She bit down hard on a washcloth to muffle her cries of pain. Carefully, she wrapped her hands in sterile gauze, making sure the bandages could be hidden beneath a long-sleeved sweater.
She couldn't leave tonight. Mark was still awake, pacing the living room, agitated and unpredictable. Escaping now would be dangerous, but her mind was finally clear. The SD card resting in her pocket was her lifeline; it captured not just the assault, but Eleanor’s cruel complicity.
Clara began mentally calculating her exit strategy. Tomorrow morning, Mark would leave for his corporate office, and Eleanor would attend her weekly country club brunch. That would be her window. She would pack only her vital documents and a single bag. She looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. The terrified, submissive wife was gone, replaced by a woman fiercely determined to survive.
