Monday Minute Challenge

Today I'm starting my Monday Minute Challenge with this sentence prompt: What (s)he said next could have the power to change my life forever.  293 words.

In the lightless room, I wondered how it came to this. I felt stupid for trusting that woman. Maybe I should be used to being trapped, but that wasn't what worried me. The fact that I didn’t know if the person I cared about most was alive or not—that’s what haunted me.

But none of it seemed to matter once he walked in the dark room.

I hadn’t seen him since the night Mother died, the night he abandoned me. Resentment crept into my heart, but it was overcome by longing. Despite denial, I missed him.

His lips formed my name. The dim light from the door revealed his body’s outline. He had grown taller, more muscular. So much time had passed.

“Caleb,” I managed to whisper. “What… what are you doing here?”

His hands dropped to his sides. “I need to explain things.”

Before I could stop them, questions rolled out from the tip of my tongue. “Who is she? Why does she want me?” By the time I stood up, my whispers had turned to yells. “What are you doing here?”

“Jacob, she’s my wife.”

As my anger against him became stronger, part of me wished the darkness would swallow me up. That way I could tell him how much pain he caused me.

He spoke up. “She’s been looking for you. She wants the rich inheritance from Father. That’s one of the reasons why she married me.”

At the thought of my brother marrying someone who wanted him for money, a sharp pain invaded my chest. Something else was wrong. “If she’s married to you, she doesn’t need me. You’re the oldest! You’ll get it, not me!”

What he said next had the power to change my life forever.