Chapter 12 - The Hidden Bruises
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"I see my stepdaughter has arrived to disrupt my household once again," Arthur said, his deep, cultured voice carrying effortlessly across the foyer. He descended the stairs slowly, wearing a tailored navy blazer, his posture rigid and arrogant.
"She's not disrupting anything, Arthur," my mother pleaded, scrambling up from the floor with obvious pain. "Sarah just stopped by after her shift."
"I can speak for myself, Arthur," I snapped, stepping between him and my mother. "I came to check on Mom. And I want to know why she’s down on her knees scrubbing floors when her doctor explicitly ordered her to rest her joints."
Arthur smirked, a chillingly calm expression that made my skin crawl. "Your mother takes pride in maintaining our home, Sarah. Something a woman of your... chaotic profession might not understand. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have guests arriving in two hours, and Evelyn has a long list of preparations to finish."
"She isn't finishing anything," I said firmly. "She's coming to sit down with me."
I turned to take my mother's hand, but as I reached for her wrist, her sleeve pulled back slightly.
My heart stopped.
Surrounding her thin forearm were deep, purplish-blue bruises shaped unmistakably like human fingers. As an ER nurse, I had seen those marks hundreds of times on victims of domestic violence. They were defensive contusions.
"Mom," I whispered, my voice breaking. I lifted her sleeve further, ignoring her attempt to pull away. "What is this?"
Arthur’s face darkened instantly. "Evelyn is clumsy, Sarah. She tripped on the garden steps two days ago."
"These aren't from a fall," I roared, turning on him, my hands trembling with rage. "You put your hands on her!"
"Watch your tongue, girl," Arthur warned, stepping into my physical space, his towering frame attempting to intimidate me. "You are in my house. You do not make accusations against me."
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"Get your things, Mom," I said, ignoring Arthur entirely as I gripped my mother's hand. "You are leaving with me right now."
"She isn't going anywhere," Arthur said quietly, pulling a heavy set of keys from his pocket. "Evelyn knows what happens if she leaves this estate."
