Chapter 17 What’s the Correct Way to Act?


    Tracy kept her head down and spoke softly, keeping it respectful. “I’ll just go back to my room. I don’t wanna bother anyone.”


    “Hold it right there!”


    Liam marched over and grabbed her arm roughly. “Who said you could just walk off? You pushed Erin and think a weak little ‘sorry’ is enough?”


    Erin looked like she was barely holding it together. Her voice wavered. “Liam, really, I’m fine…”


    The more Erin tried to calm him down, the more fired up Liam got. “Don’t worry, Erin. I’ve got this.”


    His anger showed in his grip. His hand was clenched so tightly that it felt like he was trying to crush Tracy’s arm.


    She tried a few times to pull away, but he held on like a vise. She frowned slightly. “I did what you asked, Mr. Liam. I admitted I shoved Ms. Jackman. I apologized. Isn’t that enough?”


    They always wanted me to take the me for things I didn’t do, and always wanted me to say sorry to Erin. I finally did, but it’s still not good enough?


    “You still have to-”


    Liam started to snap back but got stuck. He had no idea what else he even wanted from her.


    Tracy used to argue and fight him on everything. She never admitted anything. All he ever wanted was for her to own up and say she was sorry.


    But now that she actually had, it didn’t feel right. Like swinging hard and hitting air-no pushback, no payoff.


    Tracy calmly shifted. “Could you let go now, Mr. Liam?”


    The


    way


    she said it-cool and polite-tightened something in Liam’s chest. “What’s with the attitude?”


    He squeezed harder. “You’ve been acting weird since yesterday. Calling us ‘Mr. Liam’ and ‘Ms. Jackman’ like you’re trying to act distant and dramatic. You’re just trying to get attention, right?


    “I don’t even believe that apology was real. You’re just messing with us, trying to make us feel bad by ying the victim.


    “Apologize again to Erin. And this time, actually mean it!”


    He yanked her hard to the side, like he didn’t care if he ripped her arm out of its socket.


    But Tracy’s shoulder had been injured before. That kind of pressure was too much for it.


    A sharp wave of pain shot through her. Sweat instantly dotted her forehead. “Let go of me!”


    Liam didn’t listen. He pulled even harder.


    Pain burned through her arm. She fought against it, pushing back.


    Then suddenly, she broke free, but the force threw her sideways, straight into the coffee table nearby.


    Crash!


    ss and ceramic shattered everywhere. Cups and decorations all went flying. Sharp pieces were scattered across the floor, some even headed for Erin’s legs.


    Erin screamed, too shocked to move. Right away, Andrew, Norris, and Daphne jumped in front of her, shielding her from the flying shards.


    “Erin! Are you hurt?!”


    No one noticed the dull sound of Tracy hitting the table. No one even looked at her as she copsed near the broken ss.


    Not that she thought they would. Tracy’s first instinct was to twist her body, catching herself with one hand to avoidnding in the middle of the ss. It sliced into her palm, but it could’ve been worse.


    Meanwhile, in the center of the group, Erin stood pale and shaken. “I-I’m okay…


    ”


    Daphne let out a sigh of relief-then finally noticed Tracy on the floor, blood dripping from her hand.


    Her eyes went wide. “Tracy, you’re bleeding!”


    Everyone turned at that. All eyes shifted to Tracy. She was quiet, her face tight, her injured hand red and wet with blood.


    She let her arm hang low so it wouldn’t ruin her sweater.


    Slowly, she got up. Her gaze locked onto Liam, her eyes shing cold. “So, Mr. Liam, is this injury enough to prove I meant my apology to Ms. Jackman?”


    Liam’s jaw clenched. He couldn’t even look straight at her bleeding hand.


    Erin quickly stepped in front of him. “Please don’t be mad at Liam. He didn’t mean to hurt you. And … I don’t think he even pulled that hard. I just don’t understand how you got hurt so bad.”


    “You think I did this to myself?” Tracy’s voice turned sharp and icy.


    Erin flinched. “No, that’s not what I meant. I just … I mean, if the fall was that bad, it’s weird that only your hand got hurt…


    “So if I’d fallen face-first into the ss, that would’ve made more sense to you, Ms. Jackman?”


    “Th-that’s not … ” Erin’s voice cracked, eyes filling with tears.


    Liam, who had started to feel a little guilty, exploded again. He red at Tracy like she’d crossed a line. “What’s your problem?! Erin still refers to you as her sister, and you talk to her like that? You’re just mad because she figured out what you’re really doing.”


    Tracy looked at him tly, her tonepletely emotionless. “What kind of tone would you prefer, Mr. Liam?


    “Before, when I wouldn’t admit to anything, you said I was heartless. Now that I confessed and apologized, you say I’m ying games.


    “Just now, I asked Ms. Jackman a simple question to understand her better. And that, too, was ‘wrong’ to


    you.


    “So tell me, Mr. Liam, what’s the correct way to act?”


    She was done guessing what they wanted from her. If there was a script they expected her to follow, they could just hand it over. She’d say the lines and get it over with.