My shirt slipped to the carpet . Under the light , my upper body was covered in shocking marks . Old and new scars intertwined . There were lash marks in varying depths and large patches of bruised , purplish skin . They looked like some grotesque totem crawling all over what used to be smooth skin . The living room fell into dead silence . Robert suddenly stood up , the sound of the chair legs scraping the floor especially jarring in the quiet . Emma covered her mouth , tears instantly welling up . She looked at me , lips trembling . Reaching out shakily , she tried to get close to me to touch the wounds . Hylton's face turned pale with disbelief , his eyes locking on the wounds on my body . He looked troubled . Priscilla froze as well , but only for a moment . She quickly reacted , feigning casualness as she looked at me in admiration . " Lina , I heard you studied special effects makeup . I didn't think you were this good ! " Her words were like a key , instantly unlocking Hylton's taut nerves . It was as if he'd grabbed onto a lifeline . His eyes sharpened , sweeping over the marks on my body again , as if searching for proof they were drawn on . Emma's outstretched hand froze in midair . The pain and shock on her face slowly turned to confusion and hesitation . She looked at me , then at Priscilla , and finally turned her eyes to Hylton .