Lorie sat there, a mess of tangled hair and shame, silent now as her own scheme crumbled around her. But what truly shook her wasn't just the failure—it was Augustine. He had come for Anne, stood by her side, and protected her.
It was unexpected.
Then the realization hit her—Anne was the woman Augustine had married. The truth landed in the gut hard, leaving her rattled and unsteady.
"Why you?" Patricia's wails echoed through the room, rising in pitch as the reality sank in. "Why are you here with him?" Her face twisted with disbelief and fury as she launched herself at Lorie.
Slaps rained down as Lorie tried to shield herself. "Mom, stop it," she cried, flailing helplessly. But Patricia was too consumed by rage and humiliation to hear her pleas.
Anne watched the chaos unfold with barely concealed amusement. She remembered the exact moment it had all turned. Lorie had drunk the spiked drink she had planned for Anne.
