Thalassa’s body went absolutely stiff—her expression, her movements, even her voice—as she stared back at the woman she considered a second mother. Though she’d expected the request, the sting of betrayal was too hard to escape.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Rita asked after several seconds had passed.
Thalassa finally found her voice, but she was unable to eject the bitterness from it as she spoke.
“Do you realize what you’re asking of me, Mum? You’re asking me to forgive the person who did everything to ruin my life.”
Shame reddened Rita’s cheeks as more tears streamed down her face. “I know, I know what I’m asking of you. I know I’m not being fair to you.”
But Thalassa wasn’t done. “She drugged me and assaulted me with a man so that she could take naked pictures of me and con
