Eleanor turned sharply.
“Everyone, please go back to the dining room. This is a private family matter.”
Nobody moved.
Because everyone had heard enough.
I looked at Eleanor.
“I received a voicemail from Maya’s school today.”
Her face changed.
Just slightly.
But I noticed.
“She collapsed during recess.”
Silence.
“She was exhausted.”
Eleanor quickly interrupted.
“That has nothing to do with me.”
I stared at her.
“I didn’t say it did.”
Another mistake.
A small one.
But enough.
Eleanor realized it too late.
The room became colder.
“What happened at school?” I asked.
Maya looked up at me.
“I was dizzy.”
Her voice was quiet.
“I didn’t eat breakfast.”
I looked at Eleanor.
“Why?”
“She refused,” Eleanor said quickly.
Maya shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone heard it.
The tiny word.
The first time my daughter had openly contradicted her stepmother.
“No?”
Maya swallowed.
“She took away my breakfast because I spilled juice on the kitchen counter.”
My hands curled into fists.
“She said messy girls don’t deserve pancakes.”
A silence fell over the room.
Even Eleanor’s friends looked uncomfortable now.