We finally arrived at the showcase venue. The first thing Samuel did was step out of the car and carefully smooth out Selene's skirt. He checked her protective gear, then took her hand himself and escorted her into the gemstone exhibition area.
And me? I clung to the car door, crouched on the ground, gasping for air, trying to fight through the dizziness. Cold sweat beaded across my forehead.
"Lois, stop standing around outside. The showcase is about to start. The documentation work is important. It matters to the family and to Selene. Don't be selfish."
Samuel had come back at some point. He grabbed my wrist and hauled me into the exhibition area. I stumbled, off-balance. The camera bag nearly spilled from my hands, and a lens struck the ground with a sharp, brittle crack.
This was the first time in five years I had picked up a camera.
Terror engulfed me in an instant. My fingers shook uncontrollably, violently, and I couldn't press the shutter.
I forced myself to breathe. Forced myself to be calm. One deep breath. Then I began, frame by frame, documenting the still-life displays at the showcase. But every time the shutter clicked, I saw my mother. Teaching me. Guiding my hands. My heart felt crushed in an invisible fist, squeezed so tight I couldn't breathe.
During the intermission, the rest of the staff left to take a break. Only Selene and I remained.
She walked over, loomed above me, and looked down at the images I'd captured. A sneer of pure contempt twisted her lips. Her voice was cutting and cruel.
"Lois Simmons. You're just as useless as your mother. Couldn't even protect a core patent. Just stood there and watched while someone leaked it, drove her into a heart attack, and now you can't even take a decent photograph. Your hands are shaking like a leaf."
"A deserter on the battlefield. You couldn't even protect your own mother. What makes you think you deserve to stand beside the Godfather of Sicily? Let alone hold the title of his wife."
I gripped the camera so hard my knuckles went white. My nails dug into my palms, nearly breaking skin. Every ounce of willpower I had went into holding back the fury threatening to erupt.
Then a sharp, vicious slap cracked across my face.
The sound rang out, crisp and piercing.
Burning pain bloomed instantly, spreading across my cheek. My ears buzzed with a high-pitched ringing.