The moment Anaa’s words left her lips—“You lured Alec and married him”—it was as though the entire room shattered.
And so did their mother’s restraint.
A loud crack echoed in the living room as her palm met Anaa’s cheek, the slap fueled by heartbreak, helplessness, and years of trying to hold her crumbling family together. Anaa staggered back slightly, her hand flying to her face, eyes wide—not from the sting of the slap, but from the depth of betrayal she felt.
Tears filled Anaa’s eyes instantly. She looked at her mother with disbelief, the pain in her voice trembling as she whispered, “Today… you proved that I’m not your blood.”
“Anaa—no—” her mother’s voice cracked in panic as she reached for her daughter’s hand, desperate to undo what had just happened. “I didn’t mean—beta, listen
