I wrenched my hand free with what little strength I had and turned away. Watching these two wolves perform their little act made my stomach turn.
I lay in that hospital bed, hollowed out. Frederick made a few perfunctory arrangements and left.
"Agatha just got back. I need to get her settled in. Libby, you focus on resting."
As if the child he'd lost wasn't his. I couldn't detect a single trace of grief in him. The coldness of it left me speechless. I spent the next few days recovering alone.
But the sterile chill of the hospital was more than I could bear. I asked to go home to recuperate. Frederick said he needed to finish looking after Agatha first. I shook my head in quiet disappointment.
Early the next morning, Frederick and Agatha left ahead of me. By the time they arrived home, my parents were waiting at the door with open arms.
"Welcome home, Agatha! Mom and Dad have had dinner ready for hours!"
Frederick had even tidied himself up for the occasion, all to welcome Agatha back.
After I finished the discharge paperwork, I went home alone. No one noticed I'd arrived.
Ever since my parents adopted Agatha when I was ten, their love had slowly tilted toward her.
She was sweet and adorable, the kind of girl who made people want to protect her. But her love life was a disaster. After a string of breakups, cheating boyfriends, and ugly fights, my parents only grew more protective of their youngest daughter.
Then I met Frederick. Out of sheer jealousy, Agatha tried to sabotage the relationship. She faked a suicide attempt by swallowing pills, though the dose wasn't enough to do real damage. My parents caught her in time.
She blamed me. Said I'd driven her to it. After that, they grew even colder toward me, convinced I was some vicious, jealous creature.
After the wedding, my parents barely kept in touch. All their energy went to worrying about how Agatha was doing.
Even so, I had no choice but to come back. Frederick had arranged everything.
Now, sitting together again, the dining table was loaded with dish after dish. It had been so long since I'd tasted my parents' cooking. The first bite loosened something tight in my chest.
Frederick sat beside me, piling food onto my plate without pause. My parents clustered around Agatha on the other side of the table, asking about her life.
"How long are you staying this time, sweetie? Why don't you spend a few nights here with us?"