“You’re so disrespectful, Rachel!” she hissed. “You think you can just take whatever you want in this family?” She didn’t let me finish my apology, and her words cut deeper than I expected. “You’ll be punished for this disrespect!”
I stood up immediately, stunned and confused. Before I could even register what was happening, Ruth was storming off, muttering to herself.
But the worst was yet to come.
I took a deep breath, trying to recover my composure. My body was tired, and my back ached from the weight of the baby, but I managed to walk toward the staircase that led to the bathroom. I was desperate to relieve myself and cool down in the house’s air-conditioned interior.
As I reached the bottom step, my heart skipped a beat. Ruth had somehow followed me and was standing at the top of the stairs. There was something cold in her eyes, a fury I hadn’t seen before. Without any warning, she shoved me.
