After Going Crazy On The ScumbagChapter 1 Locking Me Inside
It was around 2 a.m. when the house started to shake.
I noticed Rob Kaufman getting out of bed to rummage through a drawer.
Outside, the noise of a panicked crowd echoed through the air.
"Earthquake! Run!" someone shouted.
As I was getting out of bed, Rob glanced at me and then bolted out the door without a second thought.
Only after he was gone did I realize that he had locked the door behind him.
In that moment of panic, I knew no one could save me.
We lived on the ninth floor. Jumping out the window would be certain death.
I quickly messaged my parents, telling them that Rob had locked me inside.
If I died, I wanted to make sure the police knew I was trapped.
I was convinced Rob was after the insurance money.
Six months ago, he had taken out a life insurance policy on me worth over a million dollars.
He was the beneficiary.
He had even assured me back then, "If anything happens to you, I'll take care of your parents."
Now it all made sense why he wanted me dead.
My parents called, saying they couldn't reach Rob. They told me to hide under a table while they rushed over.
I was more worried about their safety and begged them to stay outside in a safe area, but they refused.
Their apartment was only a twenty-minute walk from mine.
When I bought this place, they insisted I stay close by, even paying for the apartment in full in the neighboring complex.
The once-quiet city was now filled with chaos and bright lights.
I started to wonder why I had married someone like Rob.
Rob was the youngest in his family, with three older sisters. They all lived in a cramped 50-square-meter apartment.
His sisters had dropped out of school to work and support him through college.
My parents said that marrying him would bring me nothing but misery.
I didn't believe them, because once, in the middle of a stormy night, Rob had gone out to find my lost dog.
I thought, "Anyone who loves animals this much has to be a good person."
It wasn't until later that I found out Rob had orchestrated the whole thing.
The tremors slowly subsided.
The building didn't collapse like I had feared.
Rob texted me, asking how I was.
After considering for a moment, I replied, [The earthquake seems to have stopped. I'm okay.]
He texted back, [If it had been a bigger quake, I'd be cashing in on that insurance money.]
[Why would you say that?] I asked.