Webster's complexion drained of color instantly. A torrent of vivid memories crashed through his consciousness like a brutal wave.
Flashes erupted behind his eyes—Sallie collapsed on cold floors, her skin ghostly white while accusations flew at her from every direction. Sallie pressed into corners, trembling as harsh words rained down on her defenseless form. Sallie frozen in terror, her wide eyes reflecting pure panic as relentless interrogation surrounded her.
Each devastating scene featured the same cast of tormentors—the Noah family members pointing fingers, raising voices, demanding answers. And there, among the accusers in every single memory, stood Webster himself.
The realization hit like a physical blow. Everything clicked into place with sickening clarity—Sallie's guarded behavior around the Noahs, her cold distance, the way she flinched from their presence. It all made perfect, horrible sense now.
