Grace The shock of the slap seemed to stun him into silence. My hand stung with the force of my action, and Jackson's expression shifted from anger to bewilderment. His face started to turn red with the bruise. He was lucky I didn't punch him. "How f*****g dare you," I said, my voice shaking with fury. "How dare you come into my house with this bullshit? How dare you talk to me like that? About my children? About my choices when you know nothing?" His hand went to his reddening cheek. For a moment, I thought he might apologize, might recognize the depth of his accusations and the pain he had caused. But instead, his eyes hardened once more. "Before you even think of speaking," I hissed. "You say another word about my children, and you'll be picking yourself off the floor. I love Ce

