“You are a disgrace to this family.”

That was what her father had said.

Thira stared at him, and he stared back, his zealot eyes unyielding, lips pressed into a firm line. Beside him, her stepmother’s hostile sneer deepened, while Vela’s mocking smirk hovered at the edges of her vision. She stood frozen, just as she had been five years ago, wearing the same clothes, hearing the same words. She was crying again, pleading with her father to believe her.

The moment felt ...