Glacier Took My Brother, Guilt Took My Husband

“This time I’ll teach you a lesson. You’ll stay here until you figure things out.”

“You’re just too idle at home, always meddling in things that aren’t your business. Let’s see if you still have the strength to cause trouble after two days without food.”

I pounded on the door with all my strength.

“Richard Miller, you’ll regret this!”

Ethan burst into terrified sobs.

“Mommy, I want Mommy!”

Richard didn’t comfort him—he snapped instead.

“Stop crying! Keep it up, and I’ll lock you in here with her.”

Ethan’s sobs quieted, but I could still hear his muffled whimpers through the door. The sound tore at my heart.

I had never once raised a hand against my son.

I knew Richard was doing this to punish me, to make me too afraid to resist again. He knew he could control me through Ethan at any time.

“Richard, are you even human? Why take it out on the child?”

After shouting that, I fell silent.

I knew the less I spoke, the less Ethan would suffer.

For two whole days, Richard kept me locked inside.

I had neither food nor water.

As he predicted, I no longer had the strength to even think about helping David. I could barely keep myself alive.

Ethan, seeing me pitiful, pushed a cracker under the door.

“Mommy, eat.”

But Richard caught him, throwing the cracker straight into the trash.

“Ethan, be good. Mommy isn’t hungry. Go play by yourself.”

Even without looking at his face, I could sense Richard’s smug satisfaction.

I couldn’t understand how someone could be so cruel.

Two days later, starving and faint, I finally knocked weakly on the door.

“Let me out. I promise—I won’t interfere with your brother anymore.”

I had given in.

Richard was delighted with my surrender. He opened the door, smirking.

“Now that’s more like it. Husband and wife should be united.”

“Don’t worry. If your brother really dies, your parents will have me to help look after them.”

Look after them? From a man this cold-blooded? I almost laughed.

Instead, I went straight to the fridge, grabbed a carton of milk, and gulped it down like someone starved to death.

Richard watched mockingly, but I didn’t care.

Once I’d regained some strength, I asked for my phone.

“Give me my phone. I haven’t checked work messages in two days—I might miss something important.”

Reluctantly, he handed it back.

When I opened it, there were over a dozen missed calls and countless unread messages. Rage surged through me.

“Didn’t you say you’d bring it to me if someone called?”

He shrugged dismissively.

“Your company granted you leave.”

“Oh, so I should thank you, huh?”

I muttered under my breath but stopped, fearing he’d lose his temper again.

I quietly replied to messages, then checked the missed calls—several from unknown numbers, a few from colleagues, and, shockingly, some from my parents.

Richard had lied—he never answered their calls.

I shot him a questioning glare, and for a moment, he looked uneasy.

Just then, Mark Green’s call came through.

Richard barked immediately,

“You can only answer here, on speaker. Otherwise, don’t answer at all!”

Looking at his cold, expressionless face, a fierce wave of vengeance rose inside me.