My brother rushed in first, phone raised with the audio playing. He stared at Beatrice in disbelief. “Beatrice… You… Is this true?”
My parents came after, equally shocked. Beatrice broke down harder than before. “I didn’t! I didn’t!”
She cried, shaking her head at my brother. “I just wanted to upset her! I wanted her to know we’re family and not hold grudges! I only said it in anger! Brother, believe me! How could I think that!”
Seeing her tears, my heart went cold. I knew they meant more than the recording in my hand. My brother began to shake; the shock in his eyes turned into heartache. He hesitated only a few seconds before believing it. His small guilt disappeared, replaced by anger at me.
“She’s already like this and you’re recording her! Are you trying to kill her? Elena, can’t you be kinder?!” He always thought I had to give in.
To cheer up Beatrice, who was “angry” and “frightened,” my brother decided to take her to a mountain to watch the stars in her new red sports car.
That was my car, a limited-edition Ferrari given to me by my grandfather on my sixteenth birthday.