"Am I?" Stella shot back. "Because last I checked, your real family is Lana and that bastard son of yours."
"Stella—" Alicia tried to stop her daughter before she went too far, but it was already too late.
The words hung in the air like a gunshot. The room's temperature dropped instantly.
William's face darkened as he stormed forward, and before Stella could move...
Slap!
The sharp sound echoed in the room.
"You ungrateful woman!" William roared. "Don't you ever speak about him like that! He's Walters! He'll carry on my name. While you..." he pointed at her, trembling with rage, "...you are not!"
"William... what the hell are you doing?!" Alicia shouted, shoving herself between them just as he raised his hand again.
"Don't you dare slap her, William!" she screamed. "If you've lost all sense of decency, then hit me! Go on! Hit me, you bastard!"
Her voice cracked, trembling, but she didn't move.
