"Looking at Chris's photos, I feel like he is by my side," Hailey added, her smile widening. "You won't blame me, will you, sister?"
She knew exactly how to push my buttons, how to get under my skin. Her words were a calculated attack, designed to inflict maximum damage. I felt a burning desire to tear down the bedroom and rebuild it, to erase her presence from my life completely.
Susan chimed in, her voice filled with disdain. "After getting married, this is my son's house. Why should she blame you?" She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at me with a look that said I was the intruder here.
"Really?" Hailey asked, pretending to be shocked, covering her mouth in mock surprise. "But I see that my sister looks unhappy. Does she dislike me?" She blinked at me innocently, but her eyes sparkled with malice.
I could hardly believe the audacity of her words. The room felt suffocating, filled with people who were supposed to be my family but were acting like strangers. I felt cornered, betrayed and overwhelmingly angry. But I also felt a cold, steely resolve harden within me. This was my home, my life and I would not let them take it from me without a fight.