My gaze dropped. I caught her foot sliding out to trip me.
Every humiliation, every degradation I'd swallowed over the past few days surged through me at once. I lifted my foot and brought it down hard.
"Ahhh!"
Clarissa shrieked and crumpled to the floor, clutching her foot.
Hubert came rushing down the stairs, still buttoning his cuff. "What happened? Clarissa, what's wrong—"
Before I could get a word out, Clarissa beat me to it. "I was being nice and opened the door for her, and she didn't even appreciate it. She stomped on my foot on purpose!"
Hubert's face went black. He didn't ask a single question. "Lavinia. Apologize."
Again.
No questions asked. Just apologize.
I looked at Hubert in silence.
It didn't matter what I said. He would never believe me. So I said nothing at all.
Hubert's jaw tightened. "Looks like you don't need those legs of yours."
The words had barely left his mouth before two bodyguards stepped forward, one on each side, pinning me in place.
A third raised a baton and brought it down on my kneecap. The pain was blinding. My legs buckled and I hit the floor, cold sweat pouring down my face. I bit down so hard my teeth nearly cracked, but I refused to make a sound.