At my sister’s wedding, I was forbidden from sitting with the family because I was a “single mother.” My mother scoffed, “Your sister married a CEO…

Thomas.

His voice thundered across the patio as he stepped forward, his face flushed with anger.

“You’re completely useless!” he shouted. “I knew we shouldn’t have let you come! You can’t even control your own child!”

I stood quickly, placing myself between him and Sophie.

“Don’t talk about her like that,” I said, my voice shaking. “It was an accident, I’ll pay for the cleaning—”

“Pay?” he laughed harshly. “With what? You’re nothing but a burden.”

And before I could react—

he shoved me.

Hard.

I stumbled back, clutching Sophie tightly as we fell into the cold water of the fountain behind us, the shock stealing the air from my lungs as she screamed and clung to me in fear.

When I surfaced, gasping, I looked up—

and saw them laughing.

Not helping.

Not concerned.

Laughing.