Chapter 2: The Race Home

In the video, the front gate crashed open. Derek’s family rushed in, spraying fire extinguishers. The yard was chaos—smoke swirling, people shouting, red and blue lights from the old Maple Heights fire truck flashing. Derek’s uncles shoved their way through, trying to save her. My wife collapsed, clutching the photo.

And I was already in the air, Natalie’s private jet tearing down the runway.

The city skyline shrank behind us as we soared east. Natalie’s jet was all white leather and brushed steel. My knee bounced nonstop. I gripped the armrest so tight my knuckles went white. Every mile felt like another year lost.

The flight attendant—Rosa—approached Natalie, tablet in hand. "We’re cleared for takeoff, but there’s no airport near your destination. We’ll have to land in a nearby city."

Rosa was all business, but the urgency in her eyes matched my own. Every detail in the cabin screamed power and privilege, but all I could think of was the battered gold ring in my fist.

Derek’s voice burst through the speaker, panicked: "No! She’s being forced to marry tonight. We won’t make it in time!"

I said, "No need to land. I’ll parachute."

Natalie stared at me like I was crazy, but I was dead serious. I’d risk anything now.

She nodded once, then snapped, "Fly directly over his hometown. Prep the chute. Keep the satellite link up so he can see his wife at all times."

"Yes, ma’am," Rosa replied, scurrying off.

In the years I thought my wife was dead, I threw myself into extreme sports. Only the thrill of life and death numbed the pain. Now, it might save her life.

Natalie’s voice was soft. "I’ll jump with you. I want to see the woman you’ve missed for ten years."

She was brave—her sad smile said she’d rather risk heartbreak than keep me from doing what was right.

I thanked her: "If you hadn’t picked Europe for the wedding, I never would’ve made it back in time."

She squeezed my hand, her eyes glistening. "You’re my man. Now that she’s come back from the dead, it’s better we all face the truth. You didn’t betray her—you just thought she was gone."

Suddenly, a shrill scream burst from the phone. I fumbled, almost dropping it. The sound of my mother’s wail echoed in the cabin.

My parents rushed into the yard. My mother knelt, clutching my wife, sobbing. My father shouted at the crowd, desperate. Both looked older, but unbroken. Seeing them was a gut punch—guilt and relief crashing together.

My father cried, "We gave you everything you asked—fifteen grand for wedding money. How can you force her to marry someone else?"

His voice cracked with heartbreak. I saw the strain in every line of his face—ready to fight for her if he had to.

My mother-in-law spat in my dad’s face. "Your son broke his promise first—he married another woman overseas. Of course my daughter can remarry!"

Natalie’s jaw tightened, fists clenched in her lap. She hated disrespect more than anything.

My Uncle Jeff piped up, voice oily as ever: "Brother, this is our fault. This kid went overseas and neglected his parents. Now he’s marrying someone else—it’s our family’s misfortune."

Betrayal burned. I’d trusted him—he’d given me that fake death certificate.

Derek suddenly asked, "You said you got news of your family’s death, but did you ever get the money your wife sent?"

My mind reeled. I’d never gotten a cent. No legal status, no bank account—Uncle Jeff always handled the cash. He took a cut, always said it was "just enough to get by." I’d trusted him, blind.

"She sent me money for ten years?" I whispered.

Derek nodded, eyes red. "Yeah. Your uncle told her you were struggling. She worked two jobs to support you. But..."

The reality hit like a freight train. The money was stolen. My wife’s happiness, my life—destroyed by greed.

At this point, Derek’s eyes reddened, too.

He turned away, wiping his face. I broke down, clenching my fists. "Uncle Jeff went back to New York eight years ago. He wasn’t with me. If you hadn’t found my old Facebook, I’d still be lost."

Derek gasped. "No wonder your brother-in-law got a new house and your cousin bought a car. Their families spent your wife’s hard-earned money."

Rage boiled. My uncle, my wife’s family—they’d robbed her blind.

In the video, my parents clung to my wife. My mother sobbed, "My son is an ingrate, I admit it. But this daughter-in-law—we’ve long treated her as our own."

My father nodded. "When we’re old, everything we have will go to her."

My wife’s brother grew impatient, kicked my dad, and shouted, "What property do you have! Everything you owned went to your son overseas."

My dad said desperately, "I can still work—driving a pickup, collecting cans."

Mother-in-law sneered, "How much can you earn? My new son-in-law is ready—he owns a factory, makes sixty grand a year."

I wanted to punch through the window. Monsters, all of them—selling her off to the highest bidder.

They started dragging my family. Uncle Jeff pretended to help but only made things worse. My father-in-law looped a dog leash around my dad’s neck, yanking him across the yard.

Father-in-law cursed, "Your son broke his promise first—now you want to play dirty? Let’s see who can outlast whom."

They tied the rope to a tree, forcing my dad to stand on tiptoe, gasping for breath. The crowd watched, some filming, others whispering, "This is messed up."

Father-in-law shouted, "Let everyone see—your son took another woman overseas, but won’t let my daughter remarry!"

Neighbors gathered, faces a mix of shock and curiosity. Phones recorded every second. My mom panicked, rushing to save my dad, but my mother-in-law swung a shovel. My wife lunged in front of my mom, taking the blow to her own head. Blood trickled down her temple, bright and shocking against her pale skin.

Everyone froze. My wife hugged the photo, wiped the blood away, and whispered, "Go ahead and kill me. Even if I die today, I won’t marry anyone else."

Mother-in-law gripped the shovel, rage boiling over. "You think I won’t? Maybe I should just kill you today!"

My mom broke down, kneeling in the dirt, sobbing: "All the fault is ours. We raised an ungrateful son. But these ten years, we’ve treated your daughter as our own. As long as you don’t force her to marry, I’ll repay you for life, even if I have to work myself to the bone."

Brother-in-law sneered, "Pauper! You can’t even afford a used car—what use is your repayment?"

Uncle Jeff oozed fake concern: "Let it go. She only exchanged vows, didn’t get a marriage license. How can you bear to delay her whole life?"

My mom cried, "That boss is almost sixty—marrying him would ruin her life!"

Brother-in-law brushed his mother aside and grabbed my mom’s hair. "Ten years! Because of your ungrateful son, my sister lost the best years of her life. Sit your ass back down! Who said you could get up, huh?"

He yanked her head up, hatred in every word. My mother whimpered, refusing to beg.

She tried to get up. He kicked her knee, snarling. She collapsed, pain and pride battling in her eyes. But she knelt again, refusing to quit.

He spat, "Don’t think I don’t know your game. Without my sister, you got nobody to care for you."

She waved her hands, pleading, "No! My son doesn’t deserve her. We can save for her wedding. If she remarries, at least let her marry a young man."

Mother-in-law muttered, "What money do young people have..."

Father-in-law quickly silenced her, glaring.

My wife wiped her face and cried to my mom, "Mom, I won’t marry anyone else. I’ve already joined your family. Alive, I’m your daughter-in-law; dead, I’ll be your family’s ghost."

Brother-in-law roared, "Shut up! Do you still care about your own family?"

My wife cried, "Haven’t I given enough? After you took the wedding money, you didn’t give me a cent for my own wedding, did you?"

Brother-in-law spat, "You got together with another man and still expect wedding money? Shameless woman!"

He dragged her into the house. My mom tried to follow, but he kicked her down. "Hang up these two old people. Tell the makeup artist to come here—the wedding is today."

My wife struggled desperately. He snarled, "We’ve already taken someone else’s money—you must have a big wedding today!"

Her screams echoed through the house. The crowd watched, some amused, some sickened. No one dared step in. My dad begged and shouted, but they ignored him.

I watched helplessly as my wife was dragged inside, my parents barely able to breathe.

Derek’s voice trembled, "They’re going too far—can we make it before the wedding?"

Natalie’s tone was ice. "We’re almost there. Get ready to jump—we’re dropping altitude now. Our people are on the way."

I stood, suited up, my heart pounding. The wind whipped through the open hatch, cold and wild, as I strapped on the chute. My heart pounded so loud I thought Natalie could hear it. She stood at my side as the plane dipped lower. The ground rushed up to meet us.