That was when the foundation of their life began to crack.

Nick’s mother was a constant, dripping poison. “Look what she’s done to you,” she’d hiss at her son, just loud enough for Lisa to hear. “He’s only thirty! He should be traveling, experiencing life! Instead, she’s trapped him with a mountain of children. You think she’s got the brains to give them a real future? Four apartments, four college tuitions? She’s breeding poverty, and she’s happy about it.”

Lisa never fought back. She absorbed the venom, believing her love for Nick was a strong enough shield for them both. She was young, naive, and tragically wrong.

The twins were five months old when Nick came home with hollow eyes.

“I’m leaving,” he said, the words as flat and final as a tombstone.

Lisa’s world tilted on its axis. “Leaving? What are you talking about? Where are you going?”

“Actually,” he corrected, unable to meet her gaze, “you’re the one who’s leaving. You know my parents provided most of the down payment for this house.”

“Nick, have you lost your mind?” Lisa stammered, sinking into a kitchen chair. “What about the children?”