They locked me up. As I was being dragged away, Madge seized my chin, her nails digging in.
"Sis, looks like you've had it too easy for too long. You have no idea how the real world works."
"A little suffering will teach you to appreciate what you had."
"As for the good life of Mrs. Delgado, I'll be enjoying that on your behalf."
I was locked in the basement for three days. No water. No food. Then the door swung open, and Everard and Madge stood side by side in the doorway.
"Iris, I hear you've come to your senses and want to talk."
Everard crouched down slowly, studying my hollow, gaunt face. Something flickered in his eyes for a fraction of a second. A trace of pity, maybe.
But I knew it was nothing more than an illusion.
"If you'd just behaved from the start, none of this would have happened."
"If you hadn't bullied Madge, if you hadn't called her the mistress's daughter, I wouldn't have had to punish you like this just to stand up for her."
"Now that you've seen reason, go ahead and give Madge a proper apology."
I kept my head down, my gaze locked on the tips of Madge's shoes, my lips pressed into a hard, thin line.
Madge's lips curled into a vicious smile.