Tears of Humiliation

My disgust was palpable, a bile rising in my throat that I could almost taste. "What do you know about it?" I spat, shrugging his hand off. The words were out before I could even think, a fiery retort to his feigned concern. Alex took a step back, his eyes wide with surprise. "I just want to help," he said, his hand hovering in the air as if unsure where to go. "Victoria can be...difficult." "You think I don't know that?" I screamed, the words tearing from my throat. "You all think I'm some naive little maid who's here for your amusement, for you to use and discard!" My voice echoed down the empty hallway, the sound of my fury bouncing off the walls. Alex took a step back, his expression a mix of shock and concern. "Emma, please," he began, but I was already turning away from him, my hand on the doorknob to my room. I didn't want his pity, didn't want anyone's. As I closed the door behind me, the weight of the evening's events crashed down on me like a ton of bricks. The tears came unb