Atticus
I knew Sophia would pull something eventually. Which is why I had installed a motion detecting camera in her bedroom.
I was in my office when the camera sent an alert to my phone, she was up and moving. It had been hours since she’s claimed fatigue and retired to her room right after dinner. I had been in my office since then, trying to figure out who Grace had been talking to on the phone. The whole incident left me with a bad taste in my mouth. She said she had run because she had to. Add that to the fact that Ms. Joyce claimed that her accident hadn’t been an accident at all. Something wasn’t adding up. Who was she scared of or protecting?
My phone chimed again, reminding me to check the camera, bringing my attention back to my current situation.
I almost ignored it.
She could have been getting up to use the restroom but I when I listened, I could hear that alarm clock going off on the other side of the door. That was strange, why would she set an alarm so early? I pulled the camera feed up on my phone in time to catch her changing from her white silk nightie into a t-shirt and yoga pants. Maybe she was going to the home gym to work out.?
She was careful to open the door quietly which was suspicious in itself.. My eyes narrowed at her action. Sophia wasn’t the type to consider others. I switched to the hallway cameras once she exited the room. She made her way downstairs, creeping lightly. I almost went back to what I was doing when she entered the kitchen. But something told me to keep watching. It was three in the morning, Sophia didn’t snack. Even a thought of being bigger than a size one would cause her to start dieting. When she was pregnant with Tori I often had to make her eat. I pushed up from my office chair the moment she pulled a knife from the butcher block. The muscles in my neck and shoulders flexed. I knew exactly where she was going.
I wanted to catch her in the act. I let the darkness of the hallway hide me as she made her way into the room. I knew the situation wouldn’t get out of hand because Grace slept light as a fucking feather. You could breathe too hard and she’d wake up. Plus, Sophia wasn’t a killer. She depended on other people to do her dirty work.
She left the door cracked. I watched her stand over Grace’s sleeping form with a look of disgust on her face.
She tapped the knife nervously against her thigh, I could tell she was debating on what to do next.
A gasp rushed out of her pursed lips when Grace sat up. She sighed. “I knew this was coming,” Grace said before clicking on the light.
Sophia sneered at her. Grace smiled, blatantly ignoring her nastiness. She was really trying to take Sophia’s feelings into consideration whereas I didn’t give a fuck. If Sophia were smart, she would accept her kindness.
Sophia opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something. Grace held her hand up, stopping her.
“I don’t want to argue or debate with you over Atticus. I don’t want to be here, Sophia. We both know that. Atticus does what he wants regardless of my feelings or yours. Take that into consideration next time you decide to confront me or call my son names.
You think Atticus is evil? Keep playing with me, and I'll show you he isn't actually the one you have to fear. He would never hurt a woman and he has a soft spot for you because you gave him a child. But me?” She pointed to herself. "I don’t give a fuck about you. I’ll shoot you in your pretty lil’ face. I won't deny I did it and it’ll be all your fault when Atticus slaughters your entire family to protect me.”
I watched all the blood drain from Sophia’s face with a smirk on mine. Grace was right. I would make them all bleed for her.
I suspected Grace was more pissed off by the late-night visit than her calm tone conveyed because what she said next was just downright petty and vindictive “You know he will, then I'll raise your daughter as my own.” she taunted.
I took sick pleasure in watching Sophia’s eyes become watery with tears. Her face turned bright red.
Grace slid the Glock 26 she didn't think I knew she had from under her pillow, finger on the trigger, safety off. She used it to direct Sophia from the room.
I backed away from the door.
Sophia eyes went wide with panic when she stepped into the hallway and saw me leaning against the wall waiting for her.
“We need to talk.”
Grace
If you passed us in the streets and saw us— walking hand in hand. Our children slightly ahead of us with the bodyguard watching over them, you’d think ‘what a beautiful, privileged family.
You would not believe that I was a hostage, being forced to live with my childhood sweetheart and his wife. Given the ultimatum that I give him a child or lose the one I already had.
But there I was, in some kind of fucked up fairytale horror, nearly at my wits end.
I would have given anything to be back in Michigan. Michigan was a whole lot less complicated and messy.
“I’ve made plans for AJ to go to sleep away camp for the next month for spring break.” Atticus spoke, breaking through my thoughts.
“OK” I answered absent-mindedly thinking he was just telling me we were stopping at yet another shop, to buy AJ something he didn’t need. That’s what had been happening all morning. But then my brain caught up to what he actually said. My head snapped in his direction. He was looking straight ahead.
Stopping I dropped his hand, grabbed his elbow, and pulled him to a stop next to me. I watched the kids weave between crowds of people making sure they were out of earshot. Tank followed close behind them. They were safe.
