Chapter 2 - The Shattered Glass
A splash of bright liquid spread across the front of Celeste's silver dress.
The empty glass shattered against the marble floor.
The music seemed to vanish.
Celeste slowly lowered her eyes to the stain.
Then she looked at Lucy.
"Look what you've done."
Lucy immediately shook her head.
"I'm... I'm sorry."
"I didn't mean..."
The sentence never finished.
Celeste's hand struck her across the face.
The crack echoed through the ballroom.
Lucy spun sideways from the force.
She hit the edge of a low wooden table with her mouth before collapsing onto the polished floor.
"Nora!"
Someone screamed.
Then...
A tiny white tooth rolled across the marble.
It came to rest beside the broken glass, streaked with a thin line of blood.
Lucy touched her lips.
Her fingers came away red.
Terrified, she burst into tears.
"I didn't do it..."
"Mommy... I didn't..."
Nora ran.
Guests instinctively stepped aside as she rushed through the ballroom.
She no longer heard the music.
Or the whispers.
Or the shocked gasps.
She saw only her daughter lying on the floor while Celeste stood above her, staring at the stain on her gown instead of the bleeding child.
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Nora reached Lucy and shoved Celeste away with all her strength.
"Stay away from my daughter!"
