Catherine POV
I feel the bed bounce, jarring me awake. Disoriented, I hear screaming—my own—and the panic instantly grips me. My mind jumps to the worst conclusion: Zak.
“No! Stop!” I cry out instinctively, shielding my face, heart pounding.
“Mom! It’s just us!” Cody’s voice snaps me out of my hysteria, and I blink away the haze of fear. Cassidy stands behind him, her face pale with worry.
"Mom," Cody says, his voice trembling with an edge of maturity beyond his years, "has Zak started hitting you again?"
The question cuts deeper than any bruise ever could. My cheek throbs as if the pain alone wants to betray my secret, but I force a smile.
“No, baby,” I lie, hating myself for it. “I tripped and fell. Silly me, right?” My voice is too light, too fake. Even as I speak, I feel the weight of my own cowardice, and a pang of guilt—maybe the Holy Spirit trying to convict me—gnaws at my heart.
Cody studies me, his young eyes wise and sharp. “Mom… I don’t believe you, but I’ll let it go—for your sake.”
I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, the relief momentary.
Desperate to change the subject, I ask, “How was your day?”
Cassidy lights up at the invitation and begins animatedly recounting her newest online friend. I cling to her words like a lifeline, savoring this fleeting moment of peace: no Zak, no work, no bruises—just my kids and their chatter filling the silence.
But peace is always temporary.
Dinner approaches, and I busy myself in the kitchen, finding solace in routine. The lasagna comes out golden and bubbling, the mac ’n’ cheese creamy and perfect.
“Zak! Cassidy! Cody! Dinner’s ready!” I call.
In under thirty minutes, the food vanishes. Cody and Cassidy beam at me, full and happy, but Zak doesn’t even glance in my direction. No smile. No acknowledgment. Just silence as he stands and leaves the room.
It hurts more than I’d like to admit, but what can I do? I love him—even now. People might call me stupid, but they don’t understand. Love isn’t logical. It’s messy, desperate, and consuming. Does God understand?
---
Days pass, and for once, Zak is… kind. His apologies feel genuine, his gestures tender. Tonight, he’s planned a candlelight dinner. It’s been six days without a single blow—a record.
“Mom, can we talk?” Cody asks, pulling me from my thoughts. His face is serious.
“Of course, baby. Let’s talk in my room,” I say, leading him upstairs.
Once the door closes, he doesn’t waste a moment. “Mom, what Zak is doing—it’s fake. He’s pretending to change so you won’t report him.”
“Cody!” I snap, anger flaring unexpectedly. “How dare you talk about your father like that? He’s trying! For once, he’s trying, and all you do is tear him down!”
Cody’s eyes blaze with frustration. “No, Mom! You don’t see it because you don’t want to. You’re so blinded by love you can’t even tell he’s obsessed with you!”
My hand flies before I can stop it, the slap echoing in the room like a gunshot. Cody’s head snaps to the side, and when he turns back to me, his eyes are filled with tears—and anger.
“I. Hate. You,” he spits, each word like a dagger. Then he storms out, slamming the door behind him.
I stand there, frozen, the weight of what I’ve done sinking in. A single tear slips down my cheek.
“God…” I whisper, my voice cracking. “If You’re there—if You’re listening—please forgive me. Please…”
---
Downstairs, Zak’s candlelit dinner is perfect. The living room is transformed with soft lighting and delicate decorations. It’s beautiful, but I can’t shake the unease coiling in my stomach.
Zak approaches, arms outstretched, and I flinch without thinking.
“I—I’m so sorry!” I stammer, trembling, bracing for the inevitable.
But it doesn’t come. Instead, Zak smiles, stroking my cheek.
“Cathy, dear,” he says softly, “I’d never hurt you without a reason. You know that, right?”
I nod, though his words chill me to the bone.
“Come, sit,” he coaxes. “I don’t bite.”
Blushing, I take a seat, trying to calm the storm in my chest. He gazes at me intently, and I feel myself shrink under the weight of his stare.
“Do you remember when I proposed to you?” he asks, his tone almost nostalgic.
I nod. “Of course.”
The memory surfaces, vivid and bittersweet: Zak on the lockers, holding roses and a heart-shaped box. His words, full of promises. My “yes.”
“Do you remember what we discussed afterward?” Zak’s voice pulls me back to the present.
“…No,” I admit hesitantly.
“You wanted two kids; I wanted three. We agreed on three. But we only have two, Cathy. It’s time to fulfill that promise.”
His words twist in my stomach like a knife.
“Why now?” I ask, standing abruptly, the chair crashing behind me.
Zak’s face darkens, and in an instant, his hand is on my arm, gripping painfully.
“Why must you question me? Why can’t you just listen?”
Fear roots me to the spot as he mutters to himself, finally releasing me.
“I’m sorry!” I blurt, but it’s too late. His fist connects with my face, and I hit the floor hard.
“Mom!” Cassidy and Cody rush in, but their presence only makes it worse. Zak grabs Cassidy by the hair, and Cody’s defiance earns him a brutal kick that leaves his leg twisted unnaturally.
“Stop!” I scream. “Do whatever you want to me, but leave them alone! Please!”
Zak’s smile is chilling. “Why didn’t you say so earlier, Catherine?”
---
The night ends with me shattered in every sense of the word. Dehumanized.
As I lay broken, one thought echoes in my mind: "God , Are you even here?"
YOU ARE READING
The Shadows We Hide
Mystery / ThrillerThis is the gripping story of Catherine Nesbo, a woman who defied unimaginable odds. Torn apart by pain and self-blame, she lost her way in the shadows of despair. But when she turned back to Christ, she discovered the strength to rebuild her life...
