Hands Off

Clara

I had to bite my lips to know if I was dreaming or not. But even when I felt the sharp sting of pain, I didn’t wake up.

This wasn’t a dream. This was reality. A horrifying, humiliating, soul-crushing reality that was getting worse with every passing second.

Everyone’s eyes were on me, Beatrice’s, Garrick’s, and even some of the nearby guests who had paused their conversations to stare at the