And this was the child I'd traded my life for. The child whose veins carried my blood.
He called me disgusting. Beneath him.
I wiped the blood from my face and followed the other servants to carry the fireworks.
Joel saw my bloodied face. Something flickered in his eyes—a shadow of concern.
He took a few steps toward me, but Kay called out for him to come light the fireworks.
All across the neighborhood, the sky exploded with color. Festive. Joyful.
Joel had promised me this year. He said he'd sneak Johnny over so we could watch the fireworks together.
Now I watched the three of them laughing and chasing each other across the lawn. My fingers tightened around the safety lock in my pocket.
I stood alone in the snow, half my body frozen numb.
Then Johnny came running over with a small box, grinning with excitement.
"I have a present for you!"
I stared at his innocent smile, my heart melting despite everything. I pulled out the safety lock and held it out to him.
"Thank you. This is my gift for you."
He took it and urged me to open the box.
My fingers trembled uncontrollably. The moment I lifted the lid, a string of firecrackers exploded in my face.