Silence filled the room, thick with judgment and barely concealed disdain. Damien’s parents looked at me as if I were the greatest disappointment in existence, their gazes sharp enough to cut through bone.
Rhea’s wails pierced the tense air, her little fists pounding against Damien’s chest. “Evil woman!” she screamed, her voice raw with emotion. “She hurt my mom! I don’t want her here! I want my mom!”
Florence clung to Damien’s arm, her body trembling ever so slightly as if the entire ordeal had deeply shaken her. “I’m sorry…” Her voice was soft, delicate—perfectly practiced. “I only told Selene that I agreed to attend her wedding. I never thought… I never thought she’d take it the wrong way.”
Damien sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as if burdened. “Don’t blame Selene,” he said, but
