"Grandma still doesn''t know about the time Cora dropped you home when you were drunk and ‘identally'' left her underwear in your car, does she?” Hannah mused. "Compared to bringing you lunch, wouldn''t you say leaving underwear behind is a bit more serious?"


    At the mention of that incident, Lionel fell silent.


    SLAP!


    Suddenly, Lily raised her hand and struck her own face, hard. She hit herself again and again, her cheeks quickly turning red and swollen, marked with the imprint of her palm.


    "It''s all my fault," she wailed. "I failed as a mother! I spoiled her rotten, and that''s why she made these mistakes. It''s my fault! If you want to me someone, me me! Hit me, curse me, just please, please spare my daughter!"


    Lily crawled over to Hannah, banging her head on the floor in a desperate kowtow.


    Hannah didn''t move an inch. She just sat there, watching calmly as Lily''s forehead met the floor again and again. Lionel, knowing he was also at fault, didn''t intervene.


    After more than a dozen thuds, Lily realized neither of them was going to stop her. Her head was throbbing, and she paused, taking a deep, shaky breath as she looked up at Hannah.


    "Mrs. Rosenberg, I know you''re a generous person. Please, just let my daughter go. I''m begging you."


    "Oh, I''m very generous," Hannah said coolly. "If I weren''t, I never would have allowed your daughter into my home in the first ce, much less tolerated her antics time and time again. But I''m not the one who sent her away. You''re begging the wrong person."


    She arched an eyebrow at Lionel. "You should be begging him. After all, he''s the one who cares so much about your daughter. He''s fought with me over her more than once. If you beg him hard enough, maybe he''ll have the ne turn right around andnd on the frontwn to personally escort her inside."


    With a humorless chuckle, Hannah stood up and headed for the stairs. It was just going to be the same old song and dance, and she had no interest in wasting her time listening to it.


    Seeing Hannah leave, Lily panicked and lunged forward, grabbing her leg.


    "Mrs. Rosenberg, please! I''m begging you! You''re the only one who can save my daughter now! Please-ah!"


    Hannah had no patience for it. She kicked her leg back, sending Lily sprawling, and then disdainfully brushed off her pants.


    "You''re begging the wrong person," she repeated, her voiceced with ice. "He''s the one you need."


    Before disappearing up the stairs, she shot a final, sarcastic smile at Lionel.


    Lily, realizing that pleading with Hannah was useless, turned her desperate gaze back to Lionel.


    "Mr. Rosenberg, please! My daughter


    is in this mess because of you! You can''t just abandon her. If she hadn''t tried to bring you lunch today one of this would have happened!”


    Hannah, halfway up the stairs, nearlyughed out loud at the tant guilt-tripping. She didn''t care what Lionel would do. She continued up to her room without a second nce.


    "I never asked her to bring me anything, and Grandma specifically told her not toe. This was her own going don''t pin it on me Lionel snapped, then stormed upstairs to try and talk to Hannah.


    But no matter how many times he knocked or called her name, the door remained


    shut.


    The next morning, Hannah woke up


    and, as had be her ritual, picked up a pen and drew arge X on her calendar. Only three days left until their divorce was final Three more days.


    The thought of finally being free, after all the long days and endless drama, sent a


    thrill of excitement through her. Victory was so close she could taste it.