My heart sank. Those six words hurt more than everything she’d said all afternoon.
Gladys nodded, satisfied.
“Exactly.” Then she looked directly into my eyes. “So I decided to do what you apparently wouldn’t.”
She reached for Eli’s foot again. “I took care of my son.”
Something inside me went completely quiet. I looked around the room. Nobody was defending me. One cousin stared at the television with exaggerated focus. An uncle suddenly became fascinated by the snack bowl. Even the relatives who looked uncomfortable stayed silent.
I wasn’t waiting for Gladys to stop anymore. I was waiting for my husband to choose me.
He didn’t.
Then my eyes landed on the bookshelf.
My phone.
The little red light was still glowing. The livestream was still running. Gladys kept talking.
