Their eyes flicked over me like I was some ugly secret they all shared but refused to admit out loud.
I watched as they dug in like they were starving, piling their plates, asking for more drinks, more snacks.
“Get me water.”
“Pass the salt.”
“More napkins.”
Invisible, I faded into the background, biting down the bitterness that wanted to choke me.
Just before they left, Edmund’s voice cut through the kitchen like a whip.
“Where’s my wallet?”
He spun around, eyes sharp, accusing me without a word.
“You’re hiding it, aren’t you?” His eyes burned. “Because that’s what you do—hide things. Hide from responsibility, hide from respect, hide like the useless, jealous little nobody you are.”
I shook my head quietly.
He didn’t wait. His hand slapped my face. Hard.
The world spun. Blood poured from my nose like a cruel joke.
I collapsed.
The floor was cold and steady beneath me as my vision blurred. Then Elizabeth gasped, her voice dripping with fake innocence.
“Oh! Sorry, brother-in-law,” she said, voice syrupy sweet. “I must have taken your wallet by mistake while digging through my earrings. You know how clumsy I am.”