A finger jabbed into my chest. "Everyone has a past they want to bury. You exposing his scars like this—how is he supposed to survive now?"
She hadn't held back. My cheek throbbed, swelling instantly.
I ran my tongue over the tender flesh inside my mouth. Tasted copper. "Jade, have you forgotten?" My voice came out flat. "I'm an orphan too. I don't have a single relative in this city either."
I stepped closer. "As my wife, you publicly humiliate me for him, again and again. How am I supposed to survive?"
Guilt flickered across her face for a split second before she hardened her heart. "How can you compare yourself to him? You've been street-smart since you were a kid—you've even been in juvenile detention. Max is sensitive. It's not the same."
She convinced herself she was righteous. With cruel resolve, she pulled her phone from her bag. "Don't blame me, Andrew. I have to give Max justice."
My stomach dropped.
*What did she do?*
My phone buzzed violently in my pocket. I pulled it out.
Jade had uploaded a photo of me from years ago. Right after I got out of detention—filthy, fighting stray dogs for scraps of food in an alley.
The comments poured in instantly.