Quincy Appears

"Don't hurt my mom!" Harmony was still retching and crying, but then she kept pushing on. "I… I…" She retched again. "I'm trash…"

"That's more like it." Harmony's suffering made Samantha smile. "You're trash, just like your mother. The dump is where you belong."

My mind was blank again, and tears rolled off my cheeks. I cursed myself for my weakness. I could not even protect my daughter. I cursed these demons who tormented us.

Then, Samantha approached me and whispered darkly, "Do you know why I'm doing this? Because you deserve it! Quincy's been seeing me less and less! I was wondering if he was seeing someone else on the side, and you came up to me! I'll show you what happens if you wreck my relationship!"

She hissed, "When he shows up and sees you covered in filth, he'll dump you!"

So that was it. She thought I was the mistress. How dare she? This woman was the one clinging to my husband. How dare Quincy! How dare he do this to me! So all those years meant nothing to him?

Hatred was coursing through my veins. I was glaring at Samantha. With all the energy I could muster, I snarled, "You'll regret this. I'll make you pay!"

"You still don't know your place!" Furious, Samantha raised her hand.

Before the slap could land, someone crashed the storeroom door open, and a man came rushing in.

"Honey? Honey, where are you!" His voice was oozing with panic.

Samantha quickly changed her demeanor and swayed her hips as she turned around like a maiden in love.

"What took you, honey? She was pushing me around!"

The man didn't even look at her. He strode past Samantha and came up to me.

Samantha was stunned, but the man did not stop. He shoved the guards away and carefully helped me get up. When he saw the marks on my face, his heart broke, and fury burned his eyes.

"Who did this to you?" And then he saw his daughter curled up in the trash bin. "Harmony!" He darted toward the bin and carefully took her out.

"Dad…" Harmony buried her head in his chest and cried loudly.

Harmony was covered in filth and smelled like rotten food. The sight made Quincy's temples throb, and his eyes scanned everyone. "I'll say this again. Who did this?"

His flames of rage did not burn anyone, though they nearly froze the whole room.

I took a moment to regain my bearings, then I slowly pointed at Samantha. "She did this."

Quincy was furious, but Samantha spoke before he could. "You shameless mistress! You can't get Quincy here, so you grabbed a random guy?" Then she pointed at Quincy and shrieked, "At least find someone who looks like my husband! He'll be here soon, and then you're going nowhere!"

That stunned me and Quincy. The fury I had toward Quincy was replaced by doubt. The real deal was already here. If Quincy wasn't Quincy, I had to wonder who Samantha was really talking about.