Page 95 of Monster in Disguise

"That's what you did to my son too, didn't you? You seduced him and then you fucking killed him. She's a murderess, everyone! A murderess Jezebel!" His voice gains in decibels, and more people join in, denigrating Lina with every word.

"I didn't!" Lina's voice surprises me as she responds. At first she's timid, but she steels her tone and continues. "He was a pedophile... He was touching my daughter." I look at her with awe in my eyes. What must it have taken for her to be able to make this claim?

Franco laughs ironically. "Aw, really? Like mother like daughter then. She's starting young."

Catalina gasps next to me, and I lose it.

No one. Absolutely no one speaks like that about Catalina or Claudia and gets away with it.

Before I know it, I grab a fork off the table.

Catalina

Cosima takes me to a nearby table where a few other women in their thirties and forties are. They don't seem too pleased to see me. I become a little self-conscious when they just ignore me and start talking with one another.

I purse my lips and paint a pleasant smile on my face. I'd wanted to come here, so now I have to be strong and show them they can't bully me.

"Is that your son?" one of the women asks Cosima, pointing towards a drunk man.

"He's my stepson," Cosima grits her teeth.

"Oh, I forgot about that. What, with them being so close in age." Another woman joins in and jokes. I remember reading about their family, and that Benedicto Guerra has two sons by two different mothers. I'm assuming they are alluding to the fact that Benedicto had married Cosima barely a few days after his first wife had died.

"If only he saw me as his mother." Cosima feigns a sigh and proceeds to recount how hard she's tried to be a mother for Michele. "But he just hates me."

The other women start comforting her in an obviously fake manner, and I have to ask myself what I'm doing here.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to go to the restroom." I give them a tight smile and go towards the exit.

Inside the restroom, I turn on the faucet and splash some water on my face.

"I can do this," I look in the mirror and tell myself. I need to be strong...

Hard to do when I've never been in a situation like this before.

I take a deep breath, and I'm about to leave when the door bangs open, the drunk man from before striding inside.

"This is the women's restroom," I tell him, thinking he's just made a mistake.

"Is it?" His lip curls in a cruel smile. He advances inside, closing the door behind him.

"You should leave," I say with a little more conviction. I don't have a good feeling about this.

When I see that he's not moving, I decide to get out myself.

"Easy, there," he says mockingly, his fingers digging into my flesh.

"Let me go!"

"Now, why would I do that?" His manner is casual, but I can't help the shudder going through my body.

"Let go!" I try to get my arm out of his grasp, but he shoves me into the wall, crowding me.

"You know who I am, don't you?" His mouth is too close to me and I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Michele Guerra," I answer, moving my head to the side.

"Hmm." He pinches my chin between his fingers and turns it forcefully towards him.

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