Chapter 1: A Frosty Night

Sarah burst into James’s office, her face red and her hands shaking. She hadn’t been in this room for a whole year. The strong smell of leather mixed with cigars hit her hard. She controlled the nausea and stood firm.

“I quit,” she roared. Her voice cracked with strain. “Effective immediately.”

She had returned from her week-long business trip to Chicago with her boss, James. They had gone straight to the office to finish the paperwork before she could start her vacation, but James had other ideas. He had asked her to join him for another “business trip” at a ski resort over Christmas.

This was the last straw, and she had gone livid. She had suffered through his sick, sadistic games long enough. She wanted to end it all today.

James leaned back in the leather seat. He had expected this reaction.

“Is that so?” he drawled with an amused smile. He took his time to look at her from head to toe. “What makes you think I’ll let you go?”

His leering eyes made her skin crawl. “You have no say in the matter, James.” She stood her ground.

“Surely you don’t want Mark to know about your work and ... about us, Sarah.” He asked slowly.

A cold fury rose in her heart at his threat. She thought about Mark, her devoted husband of the past year. Mark loved her unconditionally. She had carefully hidden her past from Mark till now. He was a simple man and knowing her history would surely break his heart.

Sarah had made up her mind and was ready to risk it all. She spoke with gritty teeth. “I have had enough of your threats. They won’t work on me anymore.”

James chuckled at her words. He was about to say something when she stopped by pointing a finger at him.

“I will bring you down with me.” She challenged. “Even if that means I have to turn myself in.” There was a fire in her eyes.

James kept his cool. “You don’t have any evidence against me,” he said slowly.

Sarah moved closer, her voice low and threatening. “Oh yes, even if I only confessed to my part in your dirty deeds, it would be enough to send you away for a long time ... and I also know about your drug and arms deals.”

James lost his smirk. His face paled at her determination. “Don’t be stupid, Sarah.” He stood up from his chair in protest. “You will get both of us killed!”

“I am ready to risk it, but are you?” Her voice had an undertone of madness. “I have already lost my innocence, my self-respect, and my dignity ... but I refuse to lose Mark. I am tired of living this double life. It ends now.” Her eyes followed his every movement. She knew the telltale signs. His jaw tightened slightly as he took a deep breath. She braced herself.

He got up and slowly moved towards her. There was a tenderness in his eyes. He gently tucked away a strand of her hair that loomed over her eyes. He spoke slowly. “Please, Sarah, I love you. No one understands you as I do. You don’t need Mark. Come back to me, please.”

She pushed him away. “Love? Do you even know what it means?”

She took a few steps away from him. “I am not the same naive girl anymore. I have seen all of your tricks. You are a pathetic bastard who sold me off for petty gains.”

She turned toward the door when James tried to block her way. “Move,” she said. Her voice was low, full of cold fury.

James hesitated as he weighed his options. It was wise to back off for now. He would have his chance later. “This isn’t over,” he muttered.

Sarah paused in the doorway and turned back to face him. “This is your final warning, James. If you come anywhere close to me or Mark, I will burn you. No matter the cost.” She warned him in a cold voice.

James watched her leave with wide eyes. He felt numb as the door slammed shut. A sudden pain of loss and regret gripped him. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

He had refused to acknowledge this before, but he knew now ... She was his solace. His chance for redemption ... Now that she wanted to break her ties with him, a sudden realization hit him. She was his true love.

She loved him too ... An innocent young love. He never cherished it then. His greed had blinded him. How he wished he could change things now.

He was the catalyst for her transformation. He had pushed her to the brink. She had changed from a kind, loving soul to a heartless demon. He had almost lost hope of getting her back until Mark came into her life. She had healed in Mark’s presence, and recently he could see a glimpse of the old Sarah again. Now he wanted her back.

“No, I won’t let you go ... ever,” his voice echoed in the room.

A cold blast of air cut across Sarah as she gripped the steering wheel. Her stiff fingers felt frozen even through her leather gloves. Her breath fogged inside her black Lexus in the pale light of dashboard instruments. The world outside was blanketed with fresh snow, muffled to some foreign, monochrome universe bathed in misty moonlight.

Sarah glanced at the clock: 08:30 PM. She was late, and she had missed dinner again. Mark would be let down again. She knew a hot meal would always be ready for her, regardless of how furious he was. She would say her standard sorry, and he would smile at her insincere words. How many times had this repeated in their one-year-long marriage? They were still newlyweds, for God’s sake.

Mark was her rock, always supportive and slightly too understanding. He trusted her completely. Though he requested she take care of herself, he never asked her to cut down on her working hours. Mark had to deal with the home front while she was toiling hard. He took care of her father during his frequent bouts of long-term illness. She was heartbroken when her father passed away, but Mark had been with her during all her misery. She couldn’t help but feel guilty because she had exploited his kindness many times. It was time for her to take care of him now.

Quitting her job was the most liberating and hardest choice Sarah had ever made. She was free as if a weight had been removed from her shoulders. She had saved enough to start her own business. There would be challenges, but she could count on Mark. He would be with her thick and thin. All that could wait though. It was time to treat Mark like her number one priority now.

Christmas was barely a week away, and she was preparing for these holidays. She could very well imagine them sitting by the fireplace sipping hot chocolate. They would be decorating the Christmas tree together. She then imagined the two of them alone on Christmas morning. Exchanging gifts beneath the mistletoe and making love in the warmth of the fireplace.

Sarah wanted children. Her biological clock was ticking at the age of twenty-seven. She never dared to tell Mark about her desire yet. It was a bit too soon, but maybe she would convince him to start the family this year.

She turned the corner to their quiet suburban neighborhood and noticed a teenage boy standing near their home. The boy ducked immediately and tried to hide behind the dumpster.

Was it, Jimmy? Once she confirmed it was Jimmy, she chose to ignore him.

Jimmy was harmless, but she never liked him. The boy was awkward and had earned his nickname “Jinx.” He had wandering eyes and was a social klutz. Mark cared for him and helped him from time to time. He was Mark’s errand boy. She had to accept that Jinx had improved under Mark’s guidance. He had learned to be subtle in his leering but that did not improve her opinion of the boy. She knew he was up to no good.

Sarah caught Jinx’s lingering gaze in the rearview mirror. She had complained to Mark about Jinx so many times. Mark always listened but asked her to give him a chance. She left Jimmy the “Jinx” to his affairs and moved into her driveway.

She opened the trunk to grab her designer bags. Snow cracked under her Italian leather boots, making prints on the white covering. She climbed the walkway to the front door. She opened it and paused to look at the little heart mark that she and Mark had cut together.