“This? This cheap little thing?” she sneered, her breath hot against my ear. “You don’t deserve it. Daddy’s favorite, huh? How’s that working out for you now?”
I grabbed her wrist, yanking the necklace back so hard it cut into my palm. “It’s mine, give it back!”
She laughed in my face. “You think he cares about you now? You think anyone does?”
Something inside me snapped. My palm came up before I could stop it, I slapped him.
Nadia froze for a split second, shock flashing in her eyes, before she recoiled, pressing her fingers dramatically to the red mark blooming on her skin.
The door slammed open. Xander’s voice sliced through the air. “What the hell is going on?”
Nadia let out a shaky little sob, eyes wide and brimming with tears that weren’t real. “She hit me, Xander! I just wanted to borrow the necklace for the party, it would’ve matched my dress, but she went crazy! I was only trying to help her get ready—”
“That’s a lie!” I hissed. “She took my necklace—”
But before I could finish, my mother appeared behind him, hair perfect, eyes glittering with the kind of disgust she never bothered to hide. “Lauren, you ungrateful child. You can’t behave for one day?”
My fingers tightened around the tiny chain, my father’s last promise digging into my palm. “She stole it, she—”
“Enough!” Xander snapped. “You’re not going. I won’t have you embarrassing us in front of important people. You stay here.”
“You can’t—”
My mother’s cold hand came down on my shoulder. “You’ve been nothing but a shame since into this family. You stay here and think about what you cost us.”
Before I could blink, the door slammed shut. The lock clicked.
I pressed my back to the door, my shoulders trembling as I sank to the floor.
Through the door, I could hear Nadia’s giggle, soft and smug. “It’s better this way, don’t you think? We can’t let her ruin today.”
Their footsteps faded down the hall, their voices trailing off with the sound of the cars pulling away one by one. And then finally, the house fell still.
I grabbed my phone, my hands shaking as I pulled up Noah’s number. I pressed call, praying he’d answer. He did before the first ring even finished.
“Lauren?”
His voice was so warm I almost broke. “They locked me in,” I whispered. “They left for the party, but they locked me in. I’m ready to go, please, Noah. I can’t stay here.”