My sister ripped my shirt apart in front of two hundred guests and laughed at the scars across my back. For one stunned moment, even the champagne seemed to stand still.

Cruelty had always given her confidence. “So what?” she snapped. “You joined the Navy. Congratulations. That doesn’t make you better than us.”

“No,” I said. “It made me patient.”

Her eyes narrowed.

My father seized my arm, his grip hard enough to leave bruises. “You will not ruin this night.”

I glanced down at his hand. “Remove it.”

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