nore

y were furious, not because I suffered, but because my suffering wasn't aimed at

tely unreasonable!" my mother s

mbled. A delicate, graceful fall, engineered for maximum

fury at me momentarily forgotten. "Josie, darling, are you alr

tle dizzy from the altitude. But... Eleanore, could you help me? I don't want to bother M

y fall down the stairs, and offered my arm. Josie leaned heavily on me, her weight disproportionate to

was venomous. "Going to marry a vegetable? How pathetic. They'll forget you even faster then." She leaned in

, my face a blank mask. I woul

hat, no reaction? Are

cross the cheek. The sharp crack echoed in the mountain air. She let out a piercing s

high alert, spun around. "Josie!" m

h a force that sent me stumbling backwards. My head, still tender from the previous fall, slammed against

face purple with fury. "Hitting your sister?! After ever

How could you be so cruel? Josie is so sensitive, she's fragile! She

me. A sob tore from my throat, raw and guttural. My entire body trembled. "She hit herse

I just asked you about the wedding. About Kayson. I was just trying to understand." Her gaze, filled with feigned innocence, flickered to my pa

Josie's 'injuries.' "Delay the wedding? Eleanore, what is this nonsense? You know this marriage is paramount!" My father g

are not delaying anything! Your reputation, our reputation, dep

e mountain. My head throbbed, the world spinning. I reached for the simple silver locket I always wore, a gift from my gr

n my cheeks. This wasn't a family; it was a p