"Mrs. Perez, my husband's in architectural design! We'd love the chance to work with Mr. Perez."
Someone even pressed a thick stack of gift cards into her hand, promising favors on the spot.
Maria parted the crowd, walked up to me, and looked down at me. She leaned in close and deliberately lowered her voice.
"See that? That's the difference between us. One word from me, and every single one of them falls in line, begging for scraps."
"A homewrecker like you will never have what I have. While I'm still in a generous mood, take your little brat and leave the country. Don't ever let me hear your names again. Otherwise, your daughter losing her voice will be the least of her problems."
### Chapter 4
The words hit me like a physical blow. My whole body trembled as I looked down at Carly, crying without a sound.
It struck me then, the thing I'd been too overwhelmed to see. Carly hadn't been refusing to speak these past two days. She couldn't.
My stomach dropped. I crouched down and took her hands in mine.
"Carly, you can't speak, can you?"
She hiccupped through her sobs and nodded, her small face twisted in pain.