“Look how strong she is!” she said excitedly. “Don’t move so much — it looks better on camera!”
I ran toward my daughter.
Suddenly my head jerked back as Rosa grabbed my hair and threw me down.
“Leave her alone!” she yelled. “My daughter is having fun!”
The fall left me breathless.
But my child was still screaming.
I looked at Victor, waiting for him to step in — for Sofia’s father to do something.
Anything.
He shrugged again.
“Camila takes things too far sometimes,” he muttered. “But relax. It’s not a big deal.”
That was the moment I understood something terrifying.
He wasn’t failing to protect us because he couldn’t.
He simply didn’t want to.
With dirt in my mouth and my daughter’s cries echoing through my chest, I pushed myself up.
Pain shot through my head, but I didn’t care.
I lunged forward, ripping off my jacket and waving it through the air to scatter the swarm.
“Sofia, look at me!” I shouted.
I grabbed her and pulled her tightly against my chest, shielding her head as I backed toward the house.
She trembled violently.
Not from injuries — but from fear.
Camila stomped over angrily.
“Hey! You ruined my video!”
“What were you doing to my daughter?” I demanded.
She rolled her eyes.