Fiona scratched her inner palm in a desperate bid for control as she listened to her mother speak.
Had Athena turned her mother against her too?
A darker seed of doubt sprouted within her, and she cast furtive glances at her father, whose only visible sign of anger was the tightening of his right fist, balled tightly at his side, hidden from her mother's gaze.
"Fiona, my daughter, I think we've labored enough on this matter. It's been more than ten years; I believe we can conclude that Ewan is not for you."
The statement felt like a hammer driving into Fiona's chest, betraying her more deeply than she could have imagined. Her mother had turned her back on her.
"I think you should give up. Give up, and fall in love with someone else. If Ewan had any affection for you, we would have known. I would have known."
