The Widow's Gambit

I tightened my grip on the train tickets, instinctively shielding Natalie behind me.

"Where I go is none of your business. You don't get to control me, Caleb."

I deliberately stressed his fake name.

Josh's expression stiffened, but he quickly recovered, adopting a tone of practical authority. "Catherine is pregnant. She needs someone to take care of her. If you manage the house like before, I won't let you go hungry."

I looked at him, my gaze unwavering. "Josh is dead. As an outsider, I wouldn't dare impose on your family. We are just a helpless widow and child. Catherine is your wife—you take care of her."

With that, I turned, taking my daughter's hand to leave.

But Josh moved swiftly. In two strides, he was upon us. Before I could react, he snatched the tickets from my hand and, in a few brutal motions, tore them to pieces.

"You're my sister-in-law," he said, his voice dropping to a threatening register as the scraps fluttered to the ground, "I'm doing this for your own good. How are you going to survive out there? Here, you'll have food and a roof. Be sensible."

The sight of our escape, shredded and scattered, sent a tremor of pure rage through me. I shoved him hard in the chest. "So you do remember I'm your sister-in-law! Then stay away from me!"

He didn't retreat. Instead, he closed the distance again, his old impatience and arrogance rolling off him in waves. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. I'm offering you a place to stay. What more do you want?"

I almost laughed in his face. The hypocrisy was breathtaking. In my past life, he had let his mother throw us out into the cold. Now that I was choosing to leave, he sought to imprison me.

"You are my brother-in-law, not my keeper. I am free to go. What right do you have to stop me?"

He frowned, as if I were a stubborn child, and made a show of offering a grotesque compromise.

"Riley, are you really this heartless? The moment my brother dies, you can't wait to run? Fine. If it's security you're after, I'll take responsibility for both households. Isn't it just a husband you're missing? I'll give you a proper title. Catherine's child can even be raised as yours—"

I didn't let him finish. The revulsion and fury exploded in me. My hand swung with all the force of my betrayal, my grief, and my lost years. The slap cracked across his face, snapping his head to the side.

Shock, then instant, black rage contorted his features. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"You're not going anywhere today!" he snarled.

He grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the house. I clenched my brows, resisting with everything I had.

At that moment, the gate to the property swung open. The commotion broke Josh's focus.

And when Josh saw who entered, shock froze him in place.