"Ugh—it hurts so bad—" Valerie clutched her stomach, her face pale and twisted in pain. She could barely speak, shooting Elizabeth a look that mixed fear with fury. But even though she was scared, she wasn't about to let herself get smacked down for nothing. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself off the ground, beads of cold sweat popping up on her forehead.
"You b***h, Elizabeth! If I don't beat you into the floor today, I'll change my last name!"
Elizabeth couldn't even be bothered to react to Valerie's outburst.
After all the blood and wars she'd gone through, Valerie was nothing but a noisy pest. But she held back a bit—didn't want to scare Amelia too badly.
"Mom, just head inside, okay? Lock the door. I'll be in for dinner in a minute," she said softly.
Amelia hesita
