Mabel hadn't expected that. The smile vanished entirely, replaced by raw fury burning behind her eyes. "Amber, a sharp tongue won't help you. You still couldn't protect your own child or your mother."
She stepped closer, her expression vicious. "And this baby? Don't think for a second you're keeping it."
The mention of my daughter sent a spike of pain through my chest. My nails dug into my palms until the skin nearly broke. My body trembled, and no words would come.
But that wasn't the reaction she wanted. Her lips curled again. "I've prepared a big surprise for you, sis. When you see it, you'll lose your mind."
Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked out.
I stared at the doorway long after she disappeared, her words circling through my head on a loop.
What was she going to do to my mother? What was she going to do to the baby inside me?
I couldn't let myself think about it, but the images clawed their way in anyway.
I didn't know how long I sat there before I realized my face was soaked with tears.
I wiped them away with a shaking hand, picked up my phone, and dialed the number.