“You don’t want to do tit-for-tat?” she asked incredulously. “I leave you because you cheat, so you freeze me out of my own bank accounts. I’d say you are well and truly in tit-for-tat territory!”

“I’m trying to undo it. I’ve been calling the bank to get it reversed. It’ll take a bit of time.”

“Let me pass,” said Annie in exasperation.

Max didn’t move. She could feel his eyes on her.

Her heart pounded. She didn’t look at him. It was a familiar fear. She’d always told herself that his behavior wasn’t abusive because he didn’t hit her. But deep down she knew that was wrong. Max’s psychological manipulation was insidious—he might not leave bruises, but that didn’t mean there weren’t scars. She had to make a stand.

“Let me pass, Max,” she said again. “This isn’t going to make it any easier. I’m not going to change my mind.”

Max dropped his hand and moved aside to let her pass.

“I’ll kill myself!” said Max as Annie started down the stairs.

She’d been expecting it, but it still winded her. Annie inhaled deeply and turned slowly on the stair to look up at him. She couldn’t be shackled by his threats any longer. It wasn’t fair. He’d been using those three little words on her like a cattle prod for as long as they’d been together, and each time he said them Annie would let herself be lassoed back into the pen, for fear of the consequences. She couldn’t let herself be held to ransom any longer. She’d paid enough.

With as much calm as she could muster, Annie looked him in the eye and said: “This is on you, Max. You alone are responsible for your own actions and the consequences of those actions. If you kill yourself, you will devastate our children and probably be the death of your mother. I’d be sad, but your blood won’t be on my hands.”

The force of her words shocked her. Max stared down at her, his expression stunned and confused. Annie held his gaze, trying to fix her face into something that resembled resolve. It wasn’t easy with her heart thundering against her rib cage. Max broke away first, and Annie turned, unsure whether her quivering legs would be able to carry her down the stairs. Her hand trembled as she felt for the banister, gripping it hard to steady herself. She fumbled with the front door, as the air felt as though it were being sucked out of the hallway. The catch gave, and Annie stumbled out of the house, pulling the door shut firmly behind her. She pulled the fresh air into her lungs and propelled herself toward her car.