Without hesitation, I kicked her hard, sending her flying back with a scream.
“Beatrice, I’ve been patient and explained everything because you’re Harper’s mother. But if you lay a hand on me again, I won’t hold back.”
She sat on the floor, wailing, and the mob she’d brought with her surged forward, looking ready to pounce on me.
But I stood tall, cracking my knuckles with a fierce glare.
“Go ahead! I’ve been training in kickboxing for eight years. Let’s see who wants to be the first to give me some practice!”
They hesitated, clearly intimidated by my stance, but their insults continued.
“Don’t think we’re scared of you! We’re just holding back because you’re a woman. Otherwise, you’d already be begging for mercy!”
“Yeah, you’ve been acting all high and mighty, but today we’ll teach you a lesson, you tramp!”
Their words riled up the crowd even more. Even my usually polite neighbors joined in.
“With someone like you living here, the whole place is cursed. You should move out!”
“That’s right. You dress all fancy, but who knows what kind of person you really are underneath!”