Frozen in shock, I stood motionless, trying to process what had just happened. "I didn’t push…"
But before I could finish, Charles’ frantic voice rang out behind me.
"Dorothea!"
He suddenly lunged at me, shoving me to the ground in his frantic rush to reach Dorothea.
Still balancing on my high heels, I stumbled, and a sharp twist of my ankle sent a jolt of pain through me.
A cry escaped my lips, but Charles seemed to hear nothing at all.
He knelt in front of Dorothea, his face contorted with worry as he examined her from head to toe.
"Are you okay, Dorothea? Where does it hurt? Is it bad?"
At that moment, it felt as though the entire world had turned its back on me.
A bitter laugh bubbled from my throat as I let out a sigh, resigned to the bitter reality. I pulled out my phone to call a car.
But before I could dial, Charles stepped forward, his hand knocking the phone from my grasp.
With a cold, expressionless face, he commanded, "Isabella, apologize to Dorothea!"
My phone landed nearby with a crack, its screen shattering.
A wave of bitterness flooded through me, stinging my throat.
I struggled to hold back the tears, my voice steady despite the hurt. "I didn’t push her."