THE VOW

WHAT LENA LEFT

"Who is M?" Kevin asked again.

He was holding my phone like it was evidence. My attic photos glowed on the screen.

Think. Think fast.

"M? It's a vendor," I said, my voice shaking. "Monogram. For the living room. I told you I was looking at wallpaper."

He stared. For a second I thought he didn't buy it.

Then his shoulders dropped. He exhaled and put the phone down. "Babe, you scared me. You were taking pictures in the attic at midnight? The realtor said that insulation can give you cancer."

He came to hug me. His shirt smelled like the chicken from dinner.

I hugged him back, and while his face was in my hair, I slipped Mae's key into the pocket of his hoodie that I was wearing. My hoodie now.

"I couldn't sleep," I whispered. "New house."

"Come to bed," he said. "You need rest. Big day tomorrow. Eleanor wants us all for brunch."

Brunch. More food.

I nodded. I followed him to the bedroom. He fell asleep in two minutes. Out cold again.

I didn't sleep. I waited.

At 4:17 a.m., his breathing changed. That drugged, open-mouth snore.

I moved.

Master closet. White carpet, custom built-ins. He had one side, I had one side. My side was still mostly empty. Six dresses. Size 6. All new, all gifts from "Simone."

I knelt and pressed every floorboard.

On the third row, left corner, one board moved. Just a little. Click.

I pried it with my nails.

Underneath, not dust. A Ziploc bag. Inside, a little black notebook and a USB drive, both taped down.

The notebook was Lena's.

First page:

_MY NAME IS LENA CARTER. HOUSE ONE, 2018. IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOU ARE HOUSE ONE AFTER ME. THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS._

_DON'T TRUST MAE EITHER._

My blood ran cold.

_Mae helped Eleanor pick me. She pretended to help me escape. She took me to the desert house. That's where the buyer is. I got out for 12 hours. That's when I hid this._

_THE MEN KNOW. All of them. My husband Devon knew from Day One. Your Kevin knows too. Check his email. Search VOW RENEWAL._

_The food makes them compliant but the wives food is different. Ours makes us sick if we don't eat it for 3 days. Withdrawal. So we have to keep eating it. Except Simone figured out how to fake it. Ask Simone._

_If you find this, don't run to the road. Road is fenced. Electric. Run to the LAUNDRY HOUSE. Under the second washer is a hole. Big enough for a size 6 girl._

_I'm leaving this USB. It's video of the delivery. Year Three. House One delivery is always on June 14th. Your anniversary._

I flipped to the last page. Written in shaky hand, like she was running out of time:

_THEY ARE COMING TODAY. IT'S JUNE 10TH. IF YOU FIND THIS BEFORE JUNE 14TH YOU CAN STILL GET OUT. AFTER THAT YOU ARE RETURNED._

June 10th.

Today is June 10th.

I checked my phone. 4:23 a.m., June 10th.

Four days until my anniversary. Four days until I'm "returned."

I took the USB and the notebook and shoved the board back.

Then I did what Lena said.

I opened Kevin's laptop. He never locks it. Password was our anniversary. 06142024.

Gmail. Search: VOW RENEWAL.

One result. From Eleanor Ellison. Subject: Final Payment & Renewal - House One.

I clicked.

It was a contract. Signed by Kevin Williams.

_I, Kevin Williams, acknowledge receipt of $420,000 debt forgiveness and agree to surrender my wife, Zuri Williams, to The Vow Estate on June 14th, 2027 (Year Three) in good physical condition, compliant, size 6 maintained._

_Bonus: If surrendered early (Year One), additional $100,000._

Early bonus. $100,000 if I was returned early.

He signed it three months ago. Before we even toured the house.

Behind me, Kevin's voice, wide awake, not drugged at all.

"You weren't supposed to find that till Year Three, babe."

He was standing in the closet doorway. Holding the taser Mae had.

And he wasn't alone.

Eleanor was behind him, in her white nightgown, holding a white dress. My size. With my name on the tag.

"June 14th is in four days, Zuri," Eleanor said sweetly. "But I think we should do your return early. You're too smart. Smart girls ruin the product."