om Heather Carte

'd never once reached out. Now, suddenly

hell sh

ropped the bait:‌ ‌"It's about your fath

ailed a cab straight

t an explanation? Maybe there was more to Dad's story. Maybe he

I walk

a thousand miles away in our village – perche

mach cl

s wrists, shiny and new. The price tags st

ght:Heather

to blurt out the truth about Heather

n Lena. She took my hand, guiding me to a seat.‌ ‌"You look pale. Have you eaten? How a

. The accusation abo

Grandma piped up, beaming at Heather.‌

ped in the illusion of car

ighter.‌ ‌"Sweetheart, you're not getting younger. I only want

ty-year-old widower desperate for a new wife.

ugh to make Grandma's eyes glitter with greed

piercing my chest.‌ ‌"If he's such a prize, why not

descended the stairs.‌ ‌"Mother is doing you a kindness. A whore lik

as the

egs for that shop clerk over a chocolate bar? Pretty sure the whole vi

ed, lunging. Her nails raked down

I raised my hand

r had seized my hair from behind and yanked, hard enough I thought my skin

r's palm cracked

her roared, hand still raised, eyes blazing.‌ ‌"And you dare raise

reamed, forcing my body up despite the ag

n, I sank my teeth into th

ed, finally r

nly for a vicious kick to sla

d, straight towards the sharp corn

g to lose

eyes sque

pact wasn't

d, warm, and unyielding. The familiar

through blu

d went utte