"What hurt me the most wasn't all of that, but rather that every time we had a disagreement, the Gregorys would blame me without any consideration for right or wrong, or any reason. I just couldn't make you angry because you were born into the Burton family and have always been showered with attention. It's only normal for you to have the temperament of a young master, so I had to accommodate and appease you... Steve, you have no idea how much I hated you and envied you back then. I wondered why even my own parents sided with you; even doubted if I was their real daughter..." Ruby genuinely wanted to cry, but she tried her best to keep a smile on her face. There was no trace of tears in her clear eyes, and her tone remained remarkably stable: "And you know what? My mom, because of you, hit me hard many times – real hits, directly to my face..."
As she spoke, Ruby made a gesture of being hit, pointing to her left cheek and saying, "This face was hit."
