#Chapter 97: Oh What A Time They Had

The blood roared in my ears, drowning out the clatter of silverware and the strained conversation I could hear coming from inside the house. Mrs. Graven's vicious words echoed in my mind, each syllable a sharp blow. Seriously, how could she say all of that? Her words had cut deeper than I thought possible. I had known this dinner would be difficult, but I never imagined it would be like this. A figure materialized in front of me. It was Liam, concern etched on his face. He reached for me. "Ella," I recoiled, flinging his hand away. "Don't touch me!" I cried, my voice raw with emotion. "The whole thing was a nightmare. Your family hates me, and frankly, I don't blame them!" "Ella, it's not like that," Liam said, his voice desperate. "My mom... she doesn't know what she's talking about." I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. "No, Liam. She knows exactly what she's talking about. She made it pretty clear that I'm not welcome here." Before he could respond, the fron