So, this was his apology. He didn’t come here to truly say sorry. Instead, he came to make excuses for Adeline and to demand that I keep indulging her.
Brian thought that a hug and a few soft words would be enough to erase everything. That no matter how deeply he hurt me, I would forgive him like always. Even if just yesterday, he had sent me home bruised, broken and covered in blood.
It seemed that Brian believed he could slap me ninety-nine times … and then hand me a single piece of bones to make me wag my tail and come crawling back.
I lifted my head and looked at his face. My heart ached so fiercely it felt as if it might shatter into pieces. Sadly, he was wrong.
The next morning, I was awakened by loud noises coming from outside.
Still groggy and confused, I sat up just as a servant knocked on my door.
"Miss, Mr. Herbert has invited a circus to perform. He asked me to tell you to come downstairs and watch."
I straightened my clothes, feeling a wave of disbelief. Did he really think a circus performance could make up for everything that had happened? Besides, I had never liked circuses. It was always Adeline who loved these kinds of spectacles, not me.
I opened my mouth to refuse, but the door swung open again before I could speak. Adeline entered, her arm wrapped intimately around Brian’s. A sweet, fake smile bloomed on her face. She hurried over to me, grasping my hand as if we were the closest of sisters.
Her voice turned soft and coaxing as she said, "Lilian, come on, just go. Brian’s been planning this for a long time to make you happy. If you don’t go, he’ll be sad."
Brian stood behind her, watching me closely with a faint glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.
"Let’s just go take a look, alright?"
The two of them were perfectly in sync, like they were performing a well-rehearsed duet. I felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on my chest, suffocating me. But with Adeline tugging at me and Brian’s eyes fixed on me, I had no choice but to follow. I was dragged downstairs like a prisoner.
In the yard, a makeshift stage had been set up. A fire-breather was performing, sending blazing orange-red flames shooting high into the air. The heat was so intense that it burned my face from where I stood.