Selene did not return home that night.

She had heard the whispers already. The scandal spread through the village like wildfire. People spoke of nothing else. Darius and Liora tangled together, the betrayal revealed by Selene’s cries. Some pitied her, and some mocked her father for marrying such a scheming woman. They praise Lady Ishode for having a preserved daughter.

Selene didn’t care about their talk; all she knew and wanted was that Liora's name would now be dragged through the mud, ...