Her false kindness was the final straw. I pushed her away, unable to contain my rage. “I went to jail for you! I lost everything because of you! Why can’t you just leave me alone? I owe you nothing—you’re the ones who wronged me!”
I didn’t push her hard, but Irene still fell back, clutching her arm as a small scratch appeared.
Gilbert rushed to her side, his face dark with anger. He knelt to check her injury, then turned to me, his voice seething with fury.
“Amelia, you’ve gone too far. This isn’t your prison cell. Apologize to Irene now.”
Before I could respond, he shoved me back. The edge of a cabinet caught my stomach, and a sharp, searing pain shot through me.
I gasped, clutching my abdomen as beads of sweat formed on my forehead. The room spun, and I sank to the floor, unable to focus on anything but the pain.
Gilbert noticed my state, his anger momentarily giving way to concern. He took a hesitant step toward me.
“What’s wrong with you?” he demanded, his tone hard but laced with unease.
I couldn’t answer. The pain was unbearable, stealing my breath and leaving me unable to speak.