"Tessa… it's really you!" The moment our eyes met, my mom didn't doubt it for a second.
She shoved Nina aside and rushed straight to me.
She brushed the messy hair from my face, exposing everything. The bite wounds from the dogs, deep enough to show bone. The swollen handprints from the slaps.
Her eyes filled with pain and rage as she took in the sight of me.
"Adrian, explain this to me. Why is my daughter beaten like this?"
"Mom, she's just a liar..."
Adrian stepped forward to explain, but the moment his eyes landed on my face, his expression changed completely.
"Tessa… how is this you?"
The shock and concern in his eyes felt fake to me.
A sharp pain tore through my abdomen. I grabbed my mom's hand tightly and forced out the only words that mattered before everything went black.
