Sallie's POV
The whispers and accusations swirling around me weren't exactly quiet—they wanted me to catch every nasty word. I caught Jill's smug little smirk before she quickly wiped it away.
She tugged Kevin's arm with fake sweetness. "Kevin, maybe this is all just a mix-up? Sallie wouldn't come with me to collect the gift. Perhaps she doesn't even know where the gift room is."
Kevin's frown deepened with disgust. "Jill, quit giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.
"She's spent eighteen years in this house. We've thrown her birthday parties every year. She knows damn well there's always a designated room for guest gifts.
"She didn't refuse because she couldn't find it. She was scared we'd discover what she'd done."
Jill's face crumpled with manufactured shock. "How did things get this bad?
"Sallie, I already told you—you could have my birthday presents. All of them, if you wanted. But destroying them? Those gifts meant everything to the people who gave them."
