Chapter 96: The One Letting Go
"Mom! Your grip is too tight—it hurts!" Cammy yelped, trying to pry her mother’s fingers off her arm.
Monica immediately let go, but her stance remained firm, her arms now crossed over her chest. She took a deep breath, then exhaled sharply as she stepped in front of Cammy, blocking her from moving further into the room.
"Now," Monica began, her voice a mix of anger and confusion, "tell me everything. What the hell is going on?"
Cammy sighed, rubbing the sore spot on her arm where her mother’s grip had left a faint red mark. "Alright, alright. I was going to tell you anyway. No need to yell at me and drag me like that."
Monica let out a humorless chuckle, shaking her head. "Do you really think I believe that? You faked your own damn death, Cammy! You disappeared without a trace, left everything behind—and now you expect me to believe that you were just about to tell me?" Her voice cracked slightly at the end, and for the first time, Cammy noticed the exhaustion in her mother’s eyes.
Feeling the weight of her mother’s words press against her chest, Cammy turned away, biting the inside of her cheek. Instead, she pretended to look around the room as if searching for a place to sit, though in reality, she just needed a moment to collect herself.
But Monica wasn’t having any of it.
"Oh no, don’t you dare turn your back on me now," she snapped, stepping closer. "You owe me an explanation, Camellia. You owe all of us an explanation."
Cammy shut her eyes briefly before forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Mom," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You wouldn’t understand."