The crowd rippled again, their disdain thick in the air.
Finally, a middle-aged woman stepped out of the crowd and approached me, her expression caught between confusion and contempt. "I don't get it," she said, her voice firm. "Your husband is still speaking up for you. You don't seem like the kind of couple who'd fall apart. Or is it..." She hesitated, narrowing her eyes. "Do you hate your husband?"
I shook my head slowly, my voice soft but clear. "Actually, I love him very much."
The woman froze, stunned by my words. Her brows furrowed and she blinked at me as if trying to decipher a riddle. "If you love your husband and your relationship with him seems good, then why..."
"Stop it," Harvey murmured, his voice faltering. His eyes fluttered closed and his body slumped suddenly, all strength leaving him.
"Harvey? Harvey!" Evelyn shrieked, her hands shaking him as panic filled her voice. "My son! My son, what's wrong? You can't leave us! Please, I'm begging you! Somebody, help us! Save him!"