Gasps filled the room.

A woman covered her mouth, eyes wide with shock. Someone else whispered, “Did she just say…?”

I didn’t care.

I meant what I said.

Riley looked stunned for a split second before her lips curled into a sneer. “You’re lying.”

I exhaled sharply, my body trembling. “No, I’m not.”

“You’re just making excuses for your mother,” she snapped. “Playing the poor little victim so people will feel bad for you.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Victim?” I stepped closer, my voice calm, steady. “Do you know what it’s like to wonder where your next meal is coming from? To watch your mother strip in a...