With a ferocious kick, Ophelia knocked Susan off balance. Susan staggered back, hitting the edge of an ornate side table, her shriek cutting through the tense air. Her silk skirts tangled around her ankles as she fell to the floor with a thud, clutching at her hip.An electric silence ensued. Even the wind seemed to still. Alexander and Mason stood stock-still, while Isabella and Philip stared in open-mouthed shock. Only the youngest, Wren, shrank further into herself, eyes wide with astonishment.It was the elders who took it hardest—Mason looked scandalized, and even Sandra pressed a hand to her lips. Philip, though, concealed a flicker of approval in his eyes. He’d thought for some time that Susan ’s endless bullying deserved real consequences, and this, he decided, was more just than any lecture or restrained admonition he could offer.“You—you animal!” Susan stammered, her voice shrill as she slowly scrambled to her feet.“Mom!” Isabella cried, rushing to her aid, but Alexander, s
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