Her voice went sweet and girlish, as if someone else entirely had just been standing against me.
He walked in and pulled Zoe to him, kissing her like I wasn't even in the room. The wet, smacking sounds were obscene in the silent living room. Minutes passed, and when Zoe finally pushed him away her face was flushed, her eyes half-lidded.
"What are you doing? My mom's right here."
Louis barely glanced at me, pulled her closer, and kissed her again.
"We've done everything in this apartment. Now you're shy?"
I shook from head to foot. Blood taste flooded the back of my throat, and every detail I'd ever brushed aside came crashing back at once.
The cigarette smoke that would appear in the apartment for no reason.
The red marks on Zoe's neck she always blamed on mosquito bites.
The stains on my bedsheets that were never there before.
My legs buckled. I had nothing left. Nothing.
I hit the floor with a bang, and both of them turned to look.
Louis saw the state I was in and the satisfaction in his eyes deepened, but he put on a show of concern.
"You okay, teach?"
The moment he touched me, every ounce of strength I had left erupted and I threw myself at him.
"Get out! Get away from my daughter! Get out of my house!"
There was nothing left of the composed teacher. Only a mother's raw instinct.
I fought him with everything I had, hitting, clawing, wanting to bite a chunk out of him.
He was barely more than a boy, but he couldn't handle someone who'd stopped caring if she lived or died. I slapped him over and over, wanting nothing less than to take him down with me.
I was winding up for another blow when something crashed into the top of my skull. Searing pain. Blood poured down from my scalp, warm and heavy.
I turned in disbelief. Zoe was standing behind me, the wooden cutting board from our kitchen raised in both hands.
She brought it down again.
Louis scrambled to his feet in the opening, shoved me to the floor, pinned me down, and paid back every slap I'd given him.
Even that wasn't enough. He handed his phone to Zoe with a grin.
"Babe, shoot some video for me. Get it clear—I want her face in every frame."
Something flickered in Zoe's eyes. She didn't take the phone.
Louis was losing his grip on me. He shouted at her.
"Babe, have you forgotten who broke us up? We almost lost each other because of this woman!"
That was all it took. Zoe stopped hesitating. She grabbed the phone and pointed the camera straight at my face.
Louis locked his hand around my throat and laughed.
"I'm gonna let every single person in that school see their big bad discipline head getting pinned down and smacked around by me."
"Hahaha—weren't you tough? Made me drop out, called my parents in to the school—so how's it feel now, huh? Regretting it yet?"
All the strength drained from my body. I couldn't even breathe.
I was on the edge of blacking out when Zoe's phone blared with a notification. She checked it and panic crossed her face.
"We need to go. The sushi place is about to close."
The weight on me vanished.
Just like that, Louis stopped. He took the phone from Zoe, dangled it in front of my eyes, and shook it.
"Cross me again and this video goes out."
I didn't move. I lay there and listened.
Zoe must have noticed something was off, but she still made excuses for him.
"Mom, it's not his fault. He just loves me too much."
"He's going to be your only son-in-law. Just forgive him."
They walked out hand in hand, off to their date.
