The week went by just like that, and in no time Malisha found that she was getting used to her punishment. The attic was not that bad. If anything, it accorded her privacy, peace of mind, and a quiet that she would have never thought possible within the large Lenton household.

Thomas, her four-year-old son, also seemed to like it and had even transformed a small corner in the vast attic space into a play station.

It was perfect for him, and it allowed him to play while keeping ...