Chapter 5 - The Breaking Point
"Shut your mouth!" Helena shrieked, her composed facade completely shattering. She lunged at Sarah, her manicured nails clawing at her daughter’s arms.
"No!" Sarah fought back, channeling a surge of maternal adrenaline she didn't know she possessed. She pushed Helena away, causing the older woman to stumble back into a stack of heavy boxes.
Arthur stood paralyzed in shock as Sarah seized the opportunity to bolt past them, running down the hallway.
"Stop her!" Helena screamed from the room.
Sarah flew down the stairs, her heart hammering against her ribs. Just as she reached the front door, a wave of sharp, agonizing pain ripped through her abdomen. She collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. The stress had triggered early labor.
The front door suddenly burst open.
"Sarah!" a voice shouted. It was Mark, her partner. He had been trying to call her all night and, sensing something was terribly wrong, had driven three hours to find her.
"Mark... help me," Sarah whimpered, clutching her stomach.
May you like
Mark rushed to her side, lifting her into his arms just as Helena reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes wild with fury. "Get out of my house! She belongs here!" Helena roared.
"Touch her again, and I will personally ensure you spend the rest of your life in a prison cell," Mark growled, his voice laced with pure steel. He carried Sarah out into the pouring rain, leaving Helena alone in the grand, empty foyer of her crumbling empire.
