Chapter 88: Confronting the Jones

  Emma's fingers trembled slightly as she turned the key in the front door. The joy from Anya's wedding felt distant now, replaced by a familiar heaviness as she stepped into the house. The lingering scent of her sister's wedding flowers still clung to her dress, a stark contrast to the suffocating atmosphere inside. The silence in the house was deafening until Charles's voice shattered it.   "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded from his position in the living room armchair, the evening shadows making his expression even darker.   "At Anya's wedding," Emma said, keeping her voice steady despite her racing heart. "I told you about it last week."   "Last week?" Charles let out a harsh laugh, the sound echoing off the walls. "And you didn't think to invite me?"   "It was a small ceremony." Emma remained by the doorway, her hand still on her purse.   "Small ceremony?" He leaned forward, his knuckles white against the armrest. "Or are you just hiding something from me? You