bChapter /bb207 /b

bChapter /bb4/bb: /bbA /bbnot /bbso /bbweed /bbhome/b.

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88

Josie got to the Taylor estate around 2:30pm. As she walked up to the gate, a feeling of numbness rush ed over her. It had been four years since shest stepped foot in the house, but her hatred was tenfold. As she rang the doorbellb, /bshe could hear voices on the inside.

“Yes, imay /iiI help/ii…/iiyoung /iimiss/ii? /iiIs /iithat /iiyou/ii?/ii” /i

The head maid Rhonda’s eyes widen as she realized it was Josie.

“Hello iRhonda/ii. /iiIt’s /iinice /ito isee /iiyou/ii./ii‘ /i

i99 /i

“Ohi, /iiyes/ii!! /iiPlease /iie /iiin/ii! /iiThe /iisir /iiand /iimadam /iiinformed /iime /iiof /iiyour /iiarrival/ii!/ii” /i

Josie smiled lightly, Rhonda was always nice her. As she made her way into the mansionb, /beverything wa

s basically the same. Some minor changes of décor here and there, but for the most part, the same.

As Josie walked passed the foyer, she could hear her mother.

i“/iJosie? Is ithat /iiyou/ii? /iiOh /iimy /iigoodness/i!!! iWee /iihome/ii!!/ii” /i

Laura rushed over to Josie, a bright smile on her face. You would have thought Josie had just got home

from college instead of prison.

“iWell/ii, /iilook /iiat /iiyou/ii! /iiWee /iihome/ii!/ii” /i

Josie didn’t say a word; she just stared at Laura. Feeling uneasy, Laura began to make small talk.

i“/iiWell/ibi, /i/biI’m /iisure /iiyou’re /iihungry/i! iI /iihad /iithe /iicook /iiprepare /iiall /iiof /iiyour /iifavorites/ii!/ii” /i

Josie still said nothing; what she really wanted to know is how her mother even knew what her favorite

s were. Just then, Harold walked in.

“iWee /iihome /iJosiei. /iiWhat /itook iyou /iso ilong/ii?/ii” /i

Josie looked at Harlod, a distant disgust in her eyes caused him to slightly shudder.

i“/iiI /itook ithe /iibus/i.”

Laura smiled nervously.

9:59 Fri, Sep 19

“Oh, yes… Chris told ius /iabout that…iwhy /iididn’t /iyou ilet /iihim /iigive /iiyou /ia iride /ihome?”

Josie looked back at her mother.

“I didn’t want to get ihis /icar dirty.”

Her voice was t, emotionless…almost robotic. It was making Laura feel ufortable.

“Oh for iChrist /isake iJosie/i, you don’t have to iact /ilike ithis/ii. We’re /iiyou’re /iifamily /iiafter /iiall/ii!/i”

Laura looked over Harlod with a nervous expression.

i“/iIt’s okay iHarold/ii. /iiMaybe /iiit /iifelt /igood iriding /iithe /iibus/i.”

88

Harlod however was growing tired of her distant behavior; before prison, Josie used to always flutter ar ound with bouncing energy.

“iWell what /iithe /iihell /iiis /iithis /iibehavior /iifor/i! iYou /iihave /iibeen /iihome /iifive /iminutes iand /iialready-/i”

i“/iiAlready /iiwhat/ii? /iIs ithere /iia /iiparticr /iiway /iiyou /iithink /iisomeone /iishould /iiact /iiafter /iiing /iihome /iifrom /iiprison /iiMr. /i

iTaylor/ii?/i”

“That’s inot /iiwhat /iI’m isaying/i! I’m….idid /iiyou /iicall /iime /iiMr. /iiTaylor/ii?/ii” /i

Harold’s eyes widen. He couldn’t believe it! Josie used to call him dad so much it drove him crazy! Now it was Mr. Taylor. Laura frantically looked at Josie.

iJ/ii–/iJosie dear….iwhy /iiare /iiyou /iicalling /iiyour /iifather /iiMr. /iiTaylor/ii?/i”

Josie looked at Laura with a stoic expression.

i“/iBecause iording /iito /iiMr. /iiTaylor/ii, /iihe’s /iino /iilonger /iimy /iifather/ii./ii” /i

Laura’s eyes widen; guilt poured through. She’d forgotten about Harold disowning Josie. Harold’s expr

ession darkened, he hadn’t expected that news to reach her.

“iHow /iidid /iiyou /iiknow /iiabout /iithat/ii?/ii” /i

Josie stared directly at Harold.

“iThey /iimade /iisure /iI isaw /iit in prison when iI /iiasked /iiwhy /iiyou /iwouldn’t take imy /iicalls/ii./i”

9:59 Fri, Sep 19

Harold’s brows furrowed, guilt began to seep through. He’d intentionally disconnected with Josie in or der to please the board. Surely she would understand that.

i“/iJosie…iwhat /iI idid /iwas for ithe /iisake-/ii” /i

i“/iiIt’s /iino /ineed to iexin /iiMr. /iiTaylor/i. iThe /iiother /iiMr. /iiTaylor /ialready did. I understandi./ii” /i

i“/iiWell/ii, /iif iyou /iunderstand iwhy /iiare /iiyou /iicalling /iiMr.-/ii” /i

i“/iiJust /iwant to imake /iisure /iiyou /iikeep /iithe /iiboard /iihappy/i. iIf /iiyou’ll /iexcuse ime/ii./ii” /i

Laura and Harold stared nervously at Josie.

i“/iiS/ii–/iiSure/i… Umi…/iiwe’ve /iimade /iia /iiwee /iihome /iidinner/ii. /iiWhen /iiyou /iget isettled /iiin/ibi; /i/be idown /iiand /iieat/ii./ii” /i

Josie didn’t say a word. She just walked past Harold. As soon as she was out of ear–shot, Harold fumed.

“iWhat /iithe hell /iiwas /iithat /iiall /iiabout/ii!/ii” /i

Before Laura could answer, Jamie and Vanessa walked into the foyer.

“Is iJosie /iihome/ii!!/ib” /b

Vanessa asked brightly.

“Yesi, /iium/i…ishe’s /iiupstairs /inow igetting /iisettled/ii./i”

Jamie looked surprised.

“iReally/i? And ishe /iididn’t /iisay /iianything /iito /iusi? /iiThat’s /iiweird/ii, /iishe’s /iiusually /iihappy /ito see ieveryone/i.”

Harold scoffed.

“I don’t iknow /iiwhat /iithe /iihell /iiis /iwrong iwith /iithat /iigirl/ii!/i”

“Haroldi…/iimaybe /iwe should give iher /iitime/i. iShe /idid just spend ifour /iyears iin /iprison.”

Suddenly, Vanessa began to cry,

i“/iiThis /iiis /iiall /imy fault isn’t iit/i!!! If I hadn’t…iif /iiI /iihadn’t/i!!!i” /i

9:59 Fri, Sep 19

:

Before bshe /bcould get the words out, everyone immediately startedforting her.

i“/iiNess /iistop /iiit/ii!! /iiIt’s /inot your ifault/ii! /iiLook /iiJosie /iiis /ifine…iI’m /iisure /iishe’s /iijust /iitired/i.i” /i

Jamie rubbed her back as he tried to reassure her.

i“/iiYes /iisweetie/ii, /iinone /iiof /iithis /iion /iyoui. /iiJosie /iiwill /ibe fine.”

Laura said in a soothing tone.

“iYou /iiwould /iithink /iithe /iigirl /iidid /ii100 /iiyears /iiinstead /iiof /iifour/ii! /iiAll /iithis /iidrama/ii! /iiWhat /idoes ishe /iwant from usi!/ii” /i

Harold stormed off leaving the three of them in the foyer. Suddenly, Vanessa became cheerful again.

i“/iiMaybe /iI ishould /iigo /iisee /iiher/ii!/ii” /i

Laura immediately stopped her.

“iNessie/i…isweetie/i…iI /iidon’t /iithink /iithat’s /iia /iigood /iiidea/ii. /iiShe /iijust /iigot /ihome; iwhy /iidon’t /iwe let iher /iget settled.” fn0fbf Latest content published on find~novel/fn0fbf

Vanessa’s eyes shed a ping of irritation before her sugary mask came back.

“iYou’re /iiright /iimom/i, iher /iiresting /iiis /iifor /iithe /iibest/ii./i”

88

They all made their way back into the grand room. Christian stood in the stairway witnessing the entir e exchange. Irritated, he made his way to Josie’s room. He couldn’t understand why she was being so di

fficult.

As he approached her room, Christian didn’t even knock, he just burst in causing Josie to panic.

“What ithe /iifuck/i!!! iDon’t /iiyou /iiknock/i!!!”

Christian waspletely taken

aback, in the past, Josie never said so much as a word like damn, let alone use hard profanity.

He was just about to say something when he noticed her back. There were bruises all over her. Some w ere older than the others. Christian’s eyes widen in horror.

“iWhat /iihappened /ito youi?/ii” /i

His voice was low and rough. Josie quickly pulled her shirt over. Ignoring Christian’s question.

9:59 Fri, Sep b19 /b

“iWhat /iido /iiyou /iwant Mr. iTaylor/ii?/ii” /i

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88

i“/iiJosie/i! iEnough/ii! /iI’m iyou’re /iibrother/ii! /iiNow /iistop /iiwith /iithe /iiMr. /iiTaylor /iand itell /iime /iiwhat /iihappened /iito /iiyour /iiback/ii!/i”

Josie stared at Christian with no emotion. It was toote for him to y the dutiful brother.

i“/iiIs /iithat /iiwhy /iyour iburst /iinto imy /iiroom/i?i” /i

i“/iiNo/i…I-i” /i

“iThen /iiI /iireiterate/i….iwhat /iido /iiyou /iiwant /iMr. iTaylor/i? iBecause /iithere /iiis /iiabsolutely /iino /iireason /iifor /iime /iito /iicall /iiyou /iia /iinything /iielse/ii. /iiYou /imade iyour /iistance /iivery /iiclear /iiabout /iiwho /iiand /iiwhat /iiyou /iiwere /iifour /iiyears /iiago/i. As for imy /iiback /i….it’s inone /iiof /iiyour /iibusiness/i…it’s not ilike /iiyou /iican /iido /iianything /iiabout /iiit/ii./ii” /i

Christian’s eyes widen in slight panic. What the hell happened to her while she was

in there? Sure, they hadn’te to visit, but that prison was well aware she was a Tay…suddenly…

Christian realized something.

i“/iiI/i–iIs /iithis /iibecause /iifather /iidenounced /iiyou/ii?/ii” /i

Josie smiled sardonically but refused to answer. As she walked past Christian, he grabbed her arm.

i“/iiJosie/ii…/iiI /iam istill /iiyour /iibrother/ii. /iiTell /iime /iiwhat /iihappened/i.i” /i

Josie looked at Christian, unmoved by his brotherly love.

“iYou’ve /iigot /iiall the /iianswers /iiright/i? iFigure /iiit /iiout /iion /iiyour /iiown/i.”

Josie snatched her arm out of his grasp and went downstairs leaving Christian in shock.

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