Carmela left the school in a daze, her mind racing. She had never hit anyone before, and the fact that she had lost control scared her.

But she was also relieved to have gotten her kids away from Nichole. As she drove home, she thought about the things Nichole had said. "I have to protect them," she thought, her hands gripping the steering wheel. "I can't let anything happen to them."

When she got home, she was surprised to see that the house looked completely different. The damage from the ...