Before I could respond, Allison cut in with a disingenuous tone. “Listen, I know I shouldn’t have asked Michael to come with me, but you don’t need to fake something as serious as your daughter’s death. It could be a bad omen. What if something terrible happens later?”
Her innocent act was infuriating. This was the same Allison who had once been my close friend. She had deceived me before, crying and claiming there was nothing between her and Michael when I confronted her years ago.
But over time, it became clear she had been lying. Our friendship had shattered, and she had continued to play the victim, telling people I was the villain who had cut her off without a chance to explain. I had let it go because I wanted peace with Lily.
But now, she was accusing me of lying about Lily’s death and trying to dismiss it as a mere ploy.
My anger boiled over. Trembling with rage, I slapped her hard, the sound of the impact echoing through the living room.
The room fell into a heavy silence for a moment before Michael snapped out of his shock and rushed over to Allison. I couldn’t take it any longer. I turned and headed upstairs, ignoring Michael’s angry shouts and desperate calls.