Chapter 1: The Morning She Learned What She Had Married Into
"If you're going to live under my son's roof, you're going to learn to obey like a proper wife."
Those were the first words my mother-in-law said to me at six thirty in the morning, just three days after my wedding.
My name is Charlotte, I'm thirty-two years old, and I live in San Diego.
The apartment in Pacific Beach had been purchased by my parents before I ever met Zachary.
The deed was in my name.
That morning, I got up early to make breakfast.
Zachary had told me that his mother loved homemade sausage gravy and biscuits "the way his grandmother used to make them." I made fresh gravy, biscuits, and coffee.
At six twenty-five, I heard the keypad lock.
Then the door opened.
It was Brenda, my mother-in-law.
She stepped in carrying grocery bags as if the apartment belonged to her.
"Why do you have such a complicated password?" she grumbled.
"Zachary gave it to me, but I can barely get inside."
A knot formed in my stomach.
I had never given her permission to share it.
Within five minutes, she had criticized my shoes, the cushions, the kitchen, and even the napkins.
When she saw the breakfast, she made a face.
"You're going to serve this to my son?
It's watery.
How embarrassing.
A married woman should know how to take care of her husband."
Zachary appeared in his pajamas, and instead of asking me why his mother had entered without warning, he smiled.
"You know how my mom is.
Don't let it get to you."
Brenda pulled out a large container of breakfast she had prepared herself, pushed my plates aside, and sat in my seat.
Then she placed a handwritten sheet of paper in front of me.
"House Rules," it said at the top.
Wake up at five thirty to cook.
Iron Zachary's shirts.
Visit his parents every Sunday.
Ask Brenda for permission before having people over.
I let out an incredulous laugh.
"Ma'am, this is my house."
Her smile disappeared.
"It was your house before.
Now it's my son's house."
She picked up the deep bowl where I had just served the hot gravy and moved it with a sudden, strange motion.
The boiling liquid spilled onto my thigh.
I screamed.
My skin immediately turned red.
"Oh, how clumsy you are!" she said.
"You almost burned me."
"You did that on purpose."
Zachary stood up.
For a second, I thought he was going to help me.
Instead, he sl@pped me so hard that my lip split and started bleeding.
"Apologize to my mother."
I stared at him with bl00d in my mouth.
And at that moment, I understood that my marriage had ended before it had even begun.
I sl@pped him back.
Brenda screamed.
Zachary raised his hand again.
I grabbed my phone and dialed 911.
"There are two people inside my home who just @ssaulted me.
I want them to leave."
Zachary went pale.
Brenda laughed.
"Your home?
Let's see if you have the nerve to throw out the man you just married."
I walked to the drawer, took out a copy of the deed, and placed it on the table.
"Not only do I have the nerve.
I'm going to do it today."
What neither of them knew was that the entire incident had also been recorded by a camera I had installed months earlier.
And I still hadn't seen the worst part.
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What is on that recording that Charlotte hasn't seen yet?
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