Livia tried her best not to look away but it wasn't easy. She felt her heart beating furiously inside her chest. Her head hurt a little from the pressure that suddenly began to weigh down on her. She tried to steady herself, take a deep breath, and keep her expression passive as she slowly made her into the living room.
" Where have you been all night?" Paula asked. She looked like she just wanted to spit fire at Livia at the moment. "You said you would be back . " Paula walked down the stairs and approached her.
She swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat and took a step forward. "Mother – I'm sorry. It was my fault –I wanted to spend more time with the girls and- "
Before she could finish her sentence, Paula raised her hands in anger and slapped her across the face.
Livia's whole body went numb when the contact reached her cheek. She felt the sting of the slap and the tears well up in her eyes, threatening to fall.
