I bent to pick it up, blood from the wound on my palm still seeping into the bandage.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I got caught up with the laundry, and I was cleaning—then the vase earlier—”
“Oh, so you’re still making excuses now?” His voice rose. “Is that it, Erika? You want a Paris honeymoon but can’t even do basic chores?”
He threw a second bundle of white clothes at me, this one speckled with a pale yellow stain.
“And what about this? Look at it!” he snapped. “You ruined it. This is designer. Do you even know how expensive this was?”
I stared at the stain—barely visible—but in his eyes, it was a catastrophe.
“I didn’t see it,” I murmured. “I’ll fix it.”
“God, Erika,” he groaned. “This is your job. Your only job. You get to sit in this house, have whatever you want handed to you, and the one thing I ask—keep the house in order—and even that’s too hard?”
Before I could gather my words, the front door opened, and a familiar voice rang out, honey-sweet and full of sparkle.
“Kier! Brother-in-law! Why are you shouting again?” Camille.
She entered with her usual grand entrance—sun-kissed from her trip, her long curls bouncing, arms full of designer bags and luggage with tags still hanging from them.
“Oh, look at this!” she grinned, placing the gifts down. “Spain was beautiful. You’d love it, Kier. I brought you something.”
Kier immediately softened. “Camille, you didn’t have to—”
She held out a sleek box. “These are custom pieces from Madrid. Only a few made. I saw them and thought of you.”
He opened the box like a child with a toy, smiling wide.
Then Camille looked at me, feigning concern. “Why were you shouting at my sister? She looks tired. Look at her hands—she’s clearly been working hard. Don’t worry about the shirt. I brought you new ones.”
And just like that, I faded into the background again.
The front door opened once more.
“Camille! My star!” my father David boomed, walking in with arms full of gifts. “How was the trip? Tell us everything!”
She hugged him like the daughter he always wished I had been. “I closed the deal. It’s done!”
“Of course you did,” David beamed. “I always say—best decision I ever made was bringing you into this family.”
They laughed. They toasted water glasses. They complimented each other like a well-rehearsed play.
I stood in the corner like a piece of furniture.