Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Rupert said nothing. He just gripped her shoulders, his fingers digging in.

Sylvia stared him down, her body trembling. "What, cat got your tongue? Or is it just that Mr. Rupert can't even be bothered to explain himself?"

His voice was cold. "Your mom's out of danger."

The words hit Sylvia like a punch. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room, her breath coming out ragged and harsh, like a fish flopping on dry land.

She forced out a hoarse shout, "And what does 'out of danger' even mean to you? Are you waiting for her to die? Is that it? Once she's gone, nobody will know what Kay did, and you'll get to sign your shiny new deal with a clean conscience!"

"She's my mom! My only family left in this world! You really want me to just stand by while she's humiliated?"

"You can treat me like crap all you want, but she's still Mrs. Edwin! Or does all you see in people amount to dollar signs?"

Her words echoed off the paneled walls of the private dining room, pounding in Sylvia's skull, though nothing hurt as much as the deep ache in her chest.

She could still remember Naomi's shattered body after the car crash.

The folks at the funeral home had told her one leg was gone. Asked if she wanted them to put on a prosthetic before the cremation—at least let her mother leave this world with some dignity.

They didn't fit prosthetics gently on the dead the way they did for the living.

The wound couldn't be closed, so they just hammered it in with nails to keep it fixed.

Sylvia would never forget that. The memory had festered, curdling into hatred. She'd spent every day cursing Bridget for what she'd done.

it'd all

and turned to leave, but he grabbed her

all I am to you?

am I supposed to think? Lucky

everything must be

He stared at her, something

to Sylvia, it didn't

and walked out of the room

later, Orson stepped

it's handled. Ms.

"Let her go."

was shaky as he reached for

the country club, pulled out her phone, opened an alternate account, scrolled through a few

s

got released after Orson roughed him up

bruises, he checked the

thought of someone.

he limped

him. "Who the hell told you to come

Winslet, some woman

and got me beat

trouble. te winc

for my