For years people had said Derek simply had a strong personality, that Suzanne was pushy but harmless, that families sometimes interfered too much, that marriage was about putting up with things.

But nobody is obligated to be burned alive.

Derek grabbed the car keys off the counter.

“I’m going to get Suzanne,” he said coldly. “When I get back, you’d better have understood your place.”

The front door slammed, the sound echoing through the empty rooms.

Skylar stood alone in the kitchen, the bitter smell of burnt coffee clinging to her blouse while a silent resolve took root inside her. She wrapped ice in a clean towel, grabbed her purse and her documents, and left the apartment without even shutting her laptop.