I screamed, the sound ripping out of me uncontrollably as I flailed, slapping frantically at my skin. They bit down instantly, tiny sharp stings exploding everywhere at once, my neck, my arms, my scalp, crawling through my hair, slipping beneath my dress.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't think.
All I could hear was their laughter.
"You witch!" Alessia shouted, her voice filled with venom. "You killed our mother!"
"You'll pay for it," Rocco added coldly, his eyes gleaming with something disturbingly cruel.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed to my knees, shaking violently as sobs tore through me.
The bites burned, but they were nothing compared to the pain of their words.
They didn't know.
They had never known.
Their mother had been my best friend.
I carried them.
I endured everything for them.
I gave them everything I had.
And now…
Now they looked at me like I was a monster.
"I didn't kill her," I choked out, my voice breaking completely.
"Don't speak her name!" Matteo roared, his face twisted with rage. His fingers curled into his palms and squeezed, knuckles white, the ghost of the toddler who'd once gripped my hand through every stuttered word now channeled into fists.