At the mention of Sandra''s name, Hannah''s hand paused, and a sh of disgust crossed her face.


    There it was. All that preamble the feigned concern, the talk about Cora, the questions about breakfast—it was all leading up to this.


    "Sandra said she messaged you but you didn''t reply, so she asked me to check," Lionel continued. "I was thinking I could drive you after we finish eating. That way you won''t have to drive yourself and you can rest in the car."


    Hannah put down her spoon, staring at the lukewarm soup in her bowl. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to dump the entire thing over his head.


    That bitch Sandra. Did she really think Hannah was a three-year-old who would run tattling when she didn''t get a response?


    And Lionel, offering to drive her so she could "rest." He just wanted to go and be Sandra''s backup, her solid support system so she wouldn''t have to be afraid. It would be another empty, half-hearted "I''m sorry," and when Hannah didn''t ept it, Lionel would immediately jump in, telling her to stop making a scene and just forgive Sandra, who had already humbled herself so much.


    Hannah could already see the entire encounter ying out in her mind.


    "Hah..."


    Her appetite waspletely gone. She looked at Lionel, a smile spreading across her face.


    Seeing her smile, Lionel thought he had seeded. He was about to speak when she cut him off.


    "Was I the one who did something wrong?"


    Lionel hesitated. "It was her."


    "Oh, so you do know it was her?" Hannah raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "For a


    vel:


    second there, thought ce


    you


    forgotten."


    "Lionel, the first time, she deliberately apologized to me in front of all my colleagues during lunch, clearly trying to guilt-trip me. This time, she just sets a time and, ce like she''s my boss? A supposed to jump whenever she says so? Lionel, have you gotten so used to bullying me that you think I should just obey whoever gives me an order?"


    Hannah stood up, looking down at him with a cold smile. "Search your conscience... oh, wait, you don''t have one. Anyway, I don''t have time for this. If you want me there so badly,


    you


    an me unconscious


    carry me over, and force my head down until I forgive her."


    With that, she turned and stalked back upstairs, done with the fool.


    Lionel sat frozen, his fingers trembling slightly, his mind nk.


    He heard her footsteps fade away until they were gonepletely. Only then did


    the weight of his own absurdity crash down on him.


    She was right. She hadn''t done anything wrong. Why should she have to bend to Sandra''s schedule?


    Lionel looked down at his hands in horror.


    When had he started to unconsciously hurt Hannah like this, always expecting her to be the one topromise?


    His phone buzzed, a timely interruption. Sandra''s name lit up the screen.


    He answered, and herining voice filled his ear.


    "Lionel, it''s almost ten o''clock, where is Hannah? I told her nine! You said you


    were bringing her. Are you on your way?"


    To spite Hannah, she had set the meeting for nine but had deliberately shown up


    at nine-thirty, only to find that Hannah wasn''t there at all.