After four years working abroad and sending home nearly a hundred thousand dollars, I came back without warning and found my wife bald, skin and bone, washing dishes in the backyard.

Chapter 1 — The Woman in the Backyard

“That bald woman shouldn’t even be out here when we have visitors!” my sister shouted from the living room, while my wife knelt on the patio, picking up a broken plate.

I’d just gotten back to Springfield after four years in a cold metalworking shop up in Yellowknife. Nobody knew I was coming.

The plant had suspended operations for a few weeks after a small fire, and I decided to use the time to surprise my family.

For four years I’d endured twelve-hour shifts, winters that dropped to twenty below, and an endless rotation of reheated meals.

Every month I wired between two thousand and twenty-five hundred dollars straight into my mother Margaret’s bank account.

The money was supposed to build a house, secure our future, and take care of Gwen, my wife.

All told, I’d sent home more than a hundred thousand dollars.

When I finally pulled up, I found a beautiful two-story house, a golden front gate, a brand-new SUV, and furniture out of a design magazine.

I felt a swell of pride at what my work had built — right up until I walked around back and saw Gwen by the laundry area.

She was so thin her clothes hung off her like they were draped over a coat rack. She wore a thick wool hat, though the afternoon was warm.

When she recognized me, she didn’t run over or smile. She huddled against the wall and covered her head with both hands.