The child glared at me, his eyes brimming with hostility. "I was scared the bad lady would bully you, Daddy!"
Before anyone could react, he scrambled onto the bed, launched himself into the air, and brought his foot down hard on my stomach.
"Ahh!"
I'd barely slept the night before. My head was swimming, my reflexes shot. There was no time to dodge. His full weight drove into my lower abdomen, and a bolt of agony ripped through me. I doubled over instantly, cold sweat beading across my skin.
"Stella!"
Ivan yanked Cooper away and grabbed my shoulders, his face urgent. "What's wrong?"
I couldn't speak. The pain stole my voice, stole my vision—everything went dark at the edges. My abdomen seized with a twisting, wrenching cramp. I opened my mouth to cry for help, but a sharp female voice drowned me out.
"Cooper! Ivan—"
Glenda rushed in. She saw Cooper sitting on the edge of the bed, his face blank, and immediately scooped him into her arms. "Cooper, sweetie, what happened? Did you get in trouble again?"
Cooper burst into tears on cue. "I didn't do anything! I didn't even step on her, and she screamed that loud!"