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⊰ 17 ⊱ My Refuge: Part 2
I linger on the memory for a moment longer, my heart racing in my chest. As I blink out of my thoughts, I notice Katherine is watching me closely, an unreadable expression on her face.
“Levi slapped me once,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “When I was fifteen. We were arguing about money, and I said something awful to him. I told him…” I sigh, battling my hesitation as I breathe out, “I told him I wished he had died instead of our parents.”
I glance up at Katherine, expecting to see judgment in her eyes, condemnation. But instead, I find only compassion, a deep understanding that makes my throat tighten.
“He felt terrible about it,” I continue, my gaze dropping to my lap. “He apologized right away, and he never did it again. I think… I think that’s why I never blamed him for it. Because I knew how much it hurt him, how much he regretted it.”
She leans forward, her forearms resting on her crossed legs. “Mercy,” she says gently, her voice fir
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