Chapter 4

Lily, her face pale with anger, stepped in front of me.

"You're a horrible woman!" she cried, and then, to my complete shock, she spat directly at Jessica's expensive shoes.

Brandon, enraged, lunged at Lily. "You little brat!"

Before I could react fully, I instinctively pushed him away. He stumbled backward, tripped, and fell hard, his knee hitting the edge of a metal chair leg.

He let out a yowl of pain. Blood blossomed on his pants.

Jessica shrieked. "Brandon! My baby! You witch! You assaulted my son!"

She whipped out her phone. "Mark is on his way! The Nova Dynamics legal team will have you and your daughter rotting in jail for this!"

My heart pounded, but I kept my expression calm. I knew Mark. I knew his temper. And I knew his weaknesses.

Just then, the main doors of the auditorium burst open.

Several black SUVs, sleek and imposing, had pulled up outside.

Mark Olsen stormed in, his face a mask of fury. He rushed straight to Jessica and Brandon.

Seeing Brandon's bleeding knee, his rage escalated.

"What happened?!" he roared, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Who did this to my son?!"

Jessica, tears streaming down her face, pointed a trembling finger directly at me.

"She did, Mark! That woman! She pushed him! And her daughter attacked us!"

Mark's eyes found me.

His face went from red to white in an instant.

The fury vanished, replaced by a flicker of something I couldn't quite decipher. Fear? Annoyance?

He took a step towards me, then stopped. He lowered his voice, a strained attempt at conciliation.

"Sarah," he began, his voice tight. "Look, this is clearly a misunderstanding. Why don't you just apologize to Jessica and Brandon? We can sort this out... later. At home."

"Home?" I raised my voice, ensuring everyone could hear. "Why would I discuss this with you at 'home,' Mark? And why does this woman call you her fiancé? Why does her son call you 'Dad'?"

Mark's face contorted. He moved closer, his voice a low, dangerous hiss meant only for me.

"Don't push me, Sarah. Don't test my limits. I'm the one who supports this family. You know that. Now, apologize. Immediately."

I looked him straight in the eye.

Then, I did something I hadn't done in years.

I slapped him.

Hard.

The sound echoed in the stunned silence of the auditorium.

"Have you forgotten who you are, Mark?" I asked, my voice dangerously quiet. "Have you forgotten whose money you've been playing with?"