s Eleanor. Her voice was cold and clipped

night. Seven o' clock. Don' t be lat

ick with anxiety, rehearsing apologies in my head. This time, I felt a grim sense o

iture was a designer statement, every painting a calculated inve

places had been used. Liam' s plate was beside hers, empty. He had already been here. She

fireplace, the same one where, in another lif

oice tight with suppressed rage. "Liam is one of the most impor

accident,"

our eyes. That pathetic, possessive look you' ve had since you

have. I remembered the boy who trailed after her, desperate for a scrap of affection,

e talking about," I said,

e continued, pacing back and forth. "But Liam is different. He

as to her. A stepping stone

d, looking at the floor. I was feeding her the lines I knew she

turned to face me, her eyes b

ng her furious gaze, "maybe h

ng off the charity of your parents, are telling me who is and isn't good enough for me? You have n

e in the end, after she had stolen all my best work and cast me aside. Hearing them agai

to complete

rising. "Just like everyone else doe

nt pale, then flushed a dark, ugly red. Th

ul little brat

. The sound of the slap was sharp and loud in the silent room. My

onal impact was a hollow echo. I had b

rd: +10 Health Points.

dn' t cry. I didn' t flinch. I just stared at her

omething-maybe regret, maybe fear of what she had done-crossed her

r voice a low tremor. "And don' t yo

s a physical reminder of my victory. I had won this round. I had made her show her true colors. And I had survived it. Walkin