Act I The cash box was still trapped beneath Claire Wilson’s hands when her father kicked her in the chest. She crashed backward beside a stack of vegetable crates, sending egg trays rattling…

Act I The car keys skidded across the garage floor just as Rachel Turner hit the tool chest. Wrenches rattled against metal. A socket rolled beneath an old sedan, and the half-open rolling…

Act I Mia Collins was still reaching for her rent envelope when her father kicked her again. The late-night laundromat smelled of detergent and damp clothes. Cold fluorescent lights flickered above rows of…

Act I Dennis Brooks was carrying the television out of the apartment when his daughter tried to stop him. The old TV was bulky, its plastic casing scratched from years of use, but…

Act I The wage envelope slipped from Grace Miller’s hand just before her father kicked her into the mud. One moment, she was standing beside the wooden gate of the dairy farm, clutching…

Act I The paycheck was halfway out of Lily Harper’s hand when her father kicked her in the chest. She flew backward into a stack of low fruit crates, sending apples rolling across…

Act I The cash box was almost empty when Frank Carter grabbed it from his daughter’s hands. “Give it to me,” he snarled, yanking so hard that Emily Carter stumbled against the food…

Act I The first kick sent the young man crashing face-first onto the floor before anyone behind the counter could even react. His phone skidded across the polished tiles, its screen still glowing…

Act I The woman was still typing her reservation number when the man behind her decided she had wasted enough of his life. “Could you please be patient?” the receptionist asked, glancing toward…