Rebekah shook the hot soup from the back of her hand, which was already an angry red.
Benjamin glared at her, his voice sharp with accusation. "Rebekah, there's a limit to your tantrums! Candice is your sister. She's a principal dancer! Did you burn her hand on purpose? Are you trying to ruin her career?"
Shawn chimed in, his little face contorted with rage. "You're just jealous of Aunt Candice! You can't dance anymore, so you hate that she can. You're horrible!"
"I…"
Before Rebekah could defend herself, Benjamin swept Candice into his arms and stormed out of the house. Shawn scrambled off his stool and followed them. Moments later, the sound of a car engine faded into the distance. They were going to the hospital.
Rebekah went to the kitchen and ran her hand under cold water before finding some burn cream. By now, the sting of Benjamin and Shawn's betrayal was almost numb. A dull ache lingered in her chest, but she knew it would pass.
Just as she was heading back to her room, her father called.
"Get back to the Fletcher estate within the hour. Or you'll face the consequences."
With that single, furious sentence, he hung up.
The last thing Rebekah wanted was to go back there, but she knew she had to settle things with the Fletchers once and for all. Besides, her grandmother's memorial was in two months, and she had to return for that. With a sigh, she tidied herself up and left for her parents' house.
The moment she stepped into the villa, she saw Sienna, whom she had met just a short while ago. Sienna and her mother were seated on one sofa, while Rebekah's parents sat opposite them. The air was thick with tension.
As soon as she entered, Rebekah's mother lunged at her, hand raised to strike. Rebekah reacted instantly, dodging the blow.
"You're still denying it!" Sienna shrieked, about to lunge again before her mother stopped her.
"Sienna, darling, don't touch her. You'll dirty your hands." Sienna's mother shot Rebekah a look of pure disgust. "Eight years ago, I knew you weren't good enough for my son. Thank God he didn't marry an imposter like you. I hear you've been acting out and cheating on your husband. Benjamin is getting tired of you, isn't he? It seems you really are the promiscuous type. But to think you'd bully my daughter… do you take us for fools?"
Hearing this, Rebekah's father turned his fury on her. "How dare you betray Benjamin? Have you no shame? If the Fletcher family suffers because of Benjamin's retaliation, I'll break your legs!"
Rebekah felt like she'd stepped into a nightmare. They'd summoned her home just to pin this ridiculous crime on her?
"I told you, I don't know Sienna's boyfriend. If there's nothing else, I'm leaving." She turned to go, but her mother grabbed her wrist, her grip painfully tight.
"You think you can just walk away after doing something so disgraceful? You will apologize to Sienna!"

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Husband's Betrayal My Brothers' Revenge (Rebekah)