Ellena's POV
Tired of listening to their increasingly degrading and condescending remarks, I decided to walk away. But just as I turned to leave, Maria grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. It was as if she wasn't going to let me leave easily.
"Where do you think you're going, Ellena? Are you going to beg Uncle August for attention now that he's ignoring you? Are you going to climb into his bed because you feel useless?" Maria's words grew more spiteful after John's arrival, as if she had been waiting for reinforcements to humiliate me further.
"What does it matter to you where I go? That's my business," I replied, which only seemed to anger Maria more. I could see the frustration in her eyes as she prepared her next verbal attack.
