Despite the threats, the wedding went off without a hitch. The young couple moved into a modest apartment across town to keep their distance from Eleanor’s influence. Christine knew she hadn’t just married Jack; she’d inherited a mother-in-law who viewed life as a zero-sum game. Three years of happy marriage passed before they decided to start a family.
A year later, Maddie was born. She was the spitting image of Jack, which was the only reason Eleanor showed her any affection at all. But the woman still treated Christine like an intruder. They maintained a cold, polite distance. To give Christine a break, Jack would take Maddie to his parents’ house on Sunday afternoons.
As Maddie got older, Eleanor began insisting on sleepovers. “Jack, it’s late and she’s already falling asleep. Just leave her here. You and Christine can have a ‘date night.’ Lord knows she probably needs the break from doing… whatever it is she does all day.”
“Mom, Christine works full-time from home. It’s a demanding job.” “Clicking a mouse isn’t work, Jack. Anyone could do that,” Eleanor scoffed. Christine hated the sleepovers. She knew Eleanor spent that time bad-mouthing her to anyone who would listen.
She was right. But she never expected Eleanor to use their daughter as a weapon. After a few weekends at Grandma’s, Maddie started saying things that made Jack’s blood run cold.
