Chapter 1: The Lock Breaks
Chapter 1: The Lock Breaks
I grabbed the rusted chain with both hands and pulled until my palms burned.
The lock didn't move.
I looked around and spotted an old landscaping sledgehammer leaning against the guest house. Without thinking, I sprinted over, snatched it up, and swung with every ounce of strength I had.
The first blow dented the lock.
The second cracked it.
The third shattered it completely.
The chain dropped to the ground.
I threw the kennel door open and dropped to my knees.
Leo launched himself into my arms so hard that we both fell backward onto the grass.
He was freezing.
His body trembled uncontrollably as he buried his face in my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," he whispered over and over.
I held him tighter.
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
Those words broke something inside him.
He sobbed against my chest until he couldn't breathe.
As I wrapped my jacket around his shoulders, footsteps approached from the patio.
Vanessa appeared with several of her guests behind her.
The smile disappeared from her face the moment she saw the broken lock.
"Mark?" she said, forcing a laugh. "You're home early."
I stood without letting go of Leo.
"What exactly is this?"
Her expression remained calm.
"He was being disciplined."
"You locked my son in a dog kennel."
"He needed consequences."
"For spilling juice?"
She folded her arms.
"If you had been home more often, you'd understand how difficult he can be."
I stared at her.
Then I pulled out my phone.
May you like
"I'm calling 911."
For the first time since I'd known her, Vanessa looked afraid.
