Chapter 13: Apology
Aurora froze as the bandages came away, revealing deep, angry wounds on Julia's arm.
Blood had seeped into the dressings, and the sight of the raw, ugly injuries sent a wave of shock through her.
She stared at them in disbelief, her mind scrambling to make sense of it.
How could this be?
Lucas's face twisted in fury.
"I told you!" he shouted, stepping closer, his anger evident. "Look at what you've done! How dare you accuse her of lying!"
Aurora, still in shock, looked back at Julia. Her eyes searched Julia's face, but something was off. The pain in Julia's expression seemed exaggerated, almost rehearsed, and Aurora's heart sank with a new realization.
Did she... did she hurt herself on purpose?
Julia's eyes flicked up, meeting Aurora's gaze for a fraction of a second before she quickly turned away, tears streaming down her face.
Her voice trembled as she spoke, "I didn't want this... I just wanted things to go back to how they were."
Aurora's stomach churned.