Chapter 3 - The Accusation
Arthur cradled the shaking child against his damp chest, rubbing her back in short, furious motions to clear her lungs. Lily’s blue dress was plastered to her pale skin, her light blonde hair matted against her head. As her coughing subsides into broken, breathless sobs, her wet hand lifted. She raised a small, trembling finger, pointing directly past Arthur’s shoulder toward the patio steps.
Standing above them was Elena. She looked immaculate, dressed in an asymmetric cream silk cocktail dress that draped over her shoulder with calculated elegance. Her dark hair was coiled perfectly, her lips slightly parted in what appeared to be horrified shock. Yet, her eyes remained cool, darting between the father and the wet child.
May you like
Before Elena could utter a word, Lily’s thin, terror-stricken voice cut through the quiet summer heat like a razor blade. "Daddy! She pushed me!"
The accusation hung in the heavy afternoon air, striking Arthur like a physical force. The warm sun suddenly felt ice-cold. He shifted his gaze slowly up to Elena, his mind matching the image of the extended arm from the moment of the fall with the terrified words of his daughter.
