And my mother did not say another word for almost a full minute.

When she finally spoke again, her voice was drained of everything.

“Oh, Lord,” she said quietly.

“Mark is going to destroy her.”

Chapter 15 — The Boundary

“That is between Gwen and Mark,” I said, and my voice was steady and cold and certain in a way it had never been with my mother before, on the subject of my sister.

“But I need you to hear the rest of it, Mom, because I am only going to say it once.”