Chapter 1 - The Sound of Breaking China
Margaret Whitmore slapped her pregnant daughter-in-law so hard that the serving tray flew across the kitchen. Three white plates shattered against the marble. Emily stumbled into the island, caught herself on one hand, and wrapped the other around her seven-month belly.
"Get up," Margaret snapped. "You're embarrassing yourself."
"I didn't do anything."
"You ruined my dinner."
"You pulled the tray out of my hands."
Margaret's face twisted. She shoved Emily backward. Emily hit the floor on her hip, and a bolt of pain climbed through her stomach. For a moment she couldn't breathe. The baby, who had been kicking through lunch, went frighteningly still.
"You're worthless in this family," Margaret hissed. "My son deserved better."
Emily looked toward the kitchen doorway. Daniel was supposed to be downtown until six. Margaret had made a point of reminding her. The housekeeper, Rosa, had been sent out for flowers. Everything felt arranged, even the silence.
"Please," Emily said. "I need my phone."
Margaret picked it off the counter and slid it into her own pocket. "You need to learn your place."
"Give it back."
"Or what? You'll tell Daniel I attacked you? I'll say you slipped. He knows how clumsy you are lately."
Then the doorway filled with a familiar figure.
"Mom?" Daniel Whitmore stared at the broken dishes, then at his wife curled on the floor. "What the hell happened?"
Margaret turned smoothly. "Emily lost her balance. I was trying to help her."
"Don't touch me," Emily whispered when Margaret reached down.
Daniel dropped beside her. His expensive watch cracked against the tile as he grabbed his own phone. "I'm calling 911. Emily, look at me. Can you breathe?"
She caught his sleeve. "She didn't do this because of dinner. I found the blue folder."
Daniel blinked. "What folder?"
"The one about Morrow Court. Your mother's been taking money from those families."
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Margaret made a strangled sound behind him. Emily pressed his hand against her stomach and started to cry.
"Daniel," she said, "I can't feel our little girl moving."
