Chapter 6 - The Exit Strategy
Evelyn ignored Andrew completely, treating his presence as nothing more than background noise. She didn't argue. She didn't plead. She knew that defending herself in this room was like screaming into a void designed to absorb her pain.
Instead, she placed both hands gently against Sophie's cheeks, feeling the heat radiate from the swelling skin. She looked directly into her daughter's eyes, her expression locked in absolute, unshakeable determination.
"We are leaving right now," Evelyn said, her voice ringing out clearly across the silent ballroom.
May you like
She gathered the child into her arms, placing her feet firmly on the polished tile, and stood up in one fluid, powerful motion. Holding Sophie tightly against her shoulder, shielding the girl's bruised face from the prying eyes of the crowd, Evelyn turned her back on Andrew, the crystal chandelier, and the grand sign that bore the names "Andrew & Violet."
Without a backward glance, she walked toward the heavy oak doors of the ballroom, her dark purple dress trailing behind her like a banner of war. The battle for the truth had not been lost; it had simply moved out of their house, and into hers.
