The heavy oak door felt like a shield that had suddenly been rendered completely useless. I stood frozen on the threshold, the sunlight pouring into the grand entryway, illuminating the woman standing before me. My heart violently slammed against my ribs, a suffocating weight settling deep into my chest as my mind raced in a desperate, panicked loop.
*What is she doing in my husband's house?* I asked myself, the word *husband* tasting like a stolen treasure I was prepared to protect with my very life. *How dare she stand on this porch? How dare she breathe the air of the life I built?*
Paralysis held me tight for a fraction of a second before a cold, defensive adrenaline flooded my veins. I stepped backward into the foyer, leaving the massive front door open behind me. Stacy didn't hesit
