All Chapters of After Divorce, I Became Mrs. Ford: Chapter 11 - Chapter 15

The lights went out.Not slowly.Not flickering.They died all at once.Darkness swallowed the house like it had been waiting for permission.“Elaine,” I whispered.No answer.My heart started pounding so loud I was sure everyone could hear it. Somewhere down the hall, something fell. Glass maybe. Or a frame. The sound echoed, sharp and final.“They’re inside,” I said again, though no one needed reminding.My husband moved first. Not panicked. Not rushed. That scared me more than fear would have. He walked with purpose, like this was a situation he had rehearsed in his head many times.“Stay behind me,” he said.“No,” I replied immediately.He turned sharply. “This is not a debate.”“It is,” I said. “Because they already know I won’t hide.”The first Mrs. Ford placed a hand on my shoulder. “Then don’t,” she said quietly. “But don’t rush either.”Another sound.Footsteps.Soft.Controlled.Whoever was inside knew the layout.That meant one thing.“They have help,” I whispered.“Yes,” s

The sirens didn’t stop at the gate.They came all the way in.That alone told me something was different.This family didn’t like outsiders. Especially not men in uniforms with questions and notebooks. Usually, problems were handled quietly. Internally. Permanently. But tonight, the rules bent. Or maybe they were testing how far they could still bend them.The woman was taken away on a stretcher.Alive.Barely.Her blood stained the marble floor like a signature someone forgot to clean. Staff hovered in corners, whispering behind hands. Phones buzzed nonstop. Fear moved faster than truth ever could.I stood back and watched.This wasn’t my moment to speak.Not yet.The police entered in pairs. Calm. Professional. Curious. Too curious. Their eyes moved over the room, the people, the tension that clung to the walls. One of them noticed the blood immediately. Another noticed how no one was crying.That’s when you know a place is dangerous.“Who found her?” one officer asked.Several peop