Chapter 1 — Shattered Glass on the Carpet
The shattered glass of the picture frame crunched softly underfoot as Brenda stared down in disbelief.
“I can’t believe you would do this!” she snapped, turning her sharp gaze toward the center of the room.
Ethan stood frozen near the sofa, tears streaming down his face as his whole body trembled.
“I didn’t! I swear!” he sobbed, his voice cracking with panic and desperation.
Brenda immediately softened, dropping to her knees and reaching out to steady his shoulders.
“It’s okay,” she whispered gently, pulling him close.
“We’ll figure this out.”
She held him tightly for a long moment, feeling the fast rhythm of his small heart against her chest.
When she finally pulled back, her eyes lingered on the jagged shards of glass scattered across the living room carpet.
The heavy oak frame was splintered into pieces, and the family portrait inside was torn down the middle.
It looked like a violent, deliberate act of destruction.
Yet Ethan’s terrified, tear-stained face told a completely different story.
He sniffled, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his beige long-sleeve shirt.
His small hand rose slowly, pointing a trembling finger down the dark, wood-paneled hallway leading toward the back of the house.
“Grandpa was back there,” Ethan whispered, his voice barely audible over the hum of the refrigerator.
“He dropped something heavy right before the glass broke.”