"Lottie, it's New Year's Eve. What the hell are you trying to do?"
I spread my hands, my expression saying it all—I didn't do anything.
Why was I the one being blamed?
But in their eyes, I was already the villain.
Ruth cowered behind Ray, trembling as she stared at me.
He shielded her with his body and said to me, "Go back. Leave. Now."
Outside, the sky hung low and heavy. Snow fell in thick, relentless sheets. The brutal cold had already caused disasters across the region.
I pulled up the weather app on my phone and held it up. "It's negative twenty-two out there. You want me to leave?"
"Tomorrow is New Year's Day. I've spent every holiday here for years. You're really kicking me out now?"
Ruth's face went pale. She let out a soft whimper, clutching her stomach.
"I don't feel well," she murmured, her voice thin and pitiful.
My in-laws rushed to her side, faces creased with worry.
"What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"
"My stomach... I feel awful. I'm scared."
As she spoke, her frightened gaze fixed on me, her voice quivering.
My mother-in-law abandoned all pretense. She turned and murmured something to Ray.
He strode toward me, hostility radiating off him.