I kept my mouth shut, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing me complain. I slowly sank down to my knees on the cold floorboards, resting the metal trash bin right beside me. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached out toward the wide pile of shattered crystal and dark wine stains.
Some of the broken pieces were large, jagged slabs with lethal edges, while others were tiny, razor-sharp splinters scattered across the blue rug. I took a deep, steadying breath, carefully pinching the flat side of a heavy glass shard between my thumb and index finger. I lifted it slowly, dropping it into the metal bin with a loud, ringing clink.
Piece by piece, I kept picking them up. I moved with extreme caution, double-checking every angle before placing my bare skin against the jagged edges. M
