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b17:58 /bbThu/bb, /bbSep /bb25 /b

“Burn those who burned me!”

bChapter /bb218 /b

bChapter /bb12/bb: /bTrue bRegret/bb. /b

:

All the color drained from Vanessa’s faceb. /bThere was no getting around this now. Everyone stared in silence, even Jamie was quiet for once. Josie turned back to Laura.

“iYou /iikeep /iisaying /i‘go iback /ito ithe /iiway /iithings /iiwere/ib‘. /biBut /iiwhat /iiyou /iireally /imean is for me to iallow /iyou the isatisfaction /ibof /bibeing /iidelusional/ii./ii” /i

Laura’s eyes widen! How could she say that! She suffered the most these past four yearsb! /b

“iJosie/ii!! /iiDo /iiyou /iihave /iiany /iiidea /iihow /imuch I isuffered /iifrom /iiyou /iigoing /iito /iiprison/ii!!!/i”

Josieughed hysterically.

“iHow /iimuch /iYOU isuffered/ii? /iiAwe/ii…/ipoor iLaura/ii…/iyou must’ve ibeen /iidevastated /ievery itime /iyou looked iat /iia /ifamily photo and isaw /iimy /iiface/i…ioh /iiwait/i…ithat’s /iiright/ii…/iiI’m /iinot /iiin /iiany /iof ithe /iifamily /iiphotos/i.”

b51 /b

i“/iiDidn’t /iiwant /ito make ‘iNessie/i‘ ifeel /iiufortable/i. iThat /ii‘/iiway /iithings /iiwere/i‘ irhetoric/ii. /iiTell /ime isomething/i…what’s bimy /i/bifavorite /icolor? iFavorite /iiholiday/i? iFavorite /iipastime/i? iDo /iiyou /iieven /iiremember /iithat /iimy /iibirthday /iiis /iithe /iisame /iiday /ibias /i/biyour /iiprecious /iiNessie’s/ib?/bb” /b

“For iChrist /iisake/ii, /iiyou /iididn’t /iieven /iiremember /imy ifood /iiallergies/i. iSo /iiwhy /iidon’t /iiyou /iijust /iisay /iiwhat /iiyou /iireally /iiwant/ii? /iiSay /iyou iwant /iime /ito irid /iiyou /iiof /iithat /iismall /iispeck /iiof /iiguilt /iiyou /iimay /iiactually /iihave/i!i” /i

Laura’s eyes began to water. She wasn’t sure what made her the most ufortable…Josie’s wordsb…/bor the fact that she couldn’t answer any of those questionsb. /bSuddenly, Harlod spoke up.

i“/iiJosie/ib…/bis ithis /iiyour /iin/ii!! /iTo ispend /iieveryday /iimaking /ius iufortable/ii!!! /iiWhat’s /iidone /iiis /idone! iYou’re /iimother’s /iiright/i! iLet’s /ijust-”

“She’s inot /iimy /ibimother/i/bbi…/i/biremember/i? iAnd /iiyou’re /inot imy /iifather/ii./ii” /i

Harold’s eyes had fire in them. How dare she denounce them so coldly!

i“/iiOh/ii…/iwhat’s the matter? iAre /iiyou /iithe only /ione ithat /iigets /ito denounce me?”

Harold’s face tightened…no matter what he said…legally…Josie was right.

i“/iWhat is it that iyou /iiwant/ii!! /iiYou /iobviously iwant /isomething. iWhat /ido iyou /iwant…money?”

Jamie asked with disdain in his tone.

i“/iMoneyi…/iiha/ii! /iYou can’t repay a ilife /iiwith /iimoney/i….the value is nowhere near equal.”

b17:58 /bThub, /bbSep /bb25 /b

:

b51 /b

Jamie’s eyes widen in slight fear….what exactly did she mean by that? Before anyone could respond, Josie picked up her bags causing Harold to panic.

“iWhere /iiare /iiyou /igoing!!! iYou /iican’t /iijust /iikeep /iiing /iiand /iigoing /ias iyou /ipleasebi!!/i/b”

Josie sneered.

i“/iiI /iiguess /iiyour /iioldest /iididn’t /iinform iyou/ii. /iiI’ll /iino /ilonger ibe /iiliving /iiat /iithis /iipremise/ibi. /i/biMy /iiprobation /iiofficer /ifeels the ienvironment /iiis /iiunhealthy/ii./i”

Harold’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head! Panic immediately struck his face! What exactly had she told her probation officer! Where was she going!! Frantically, he walked towards Josie.

“T–That’s not ipossible/ii! /iiWhere /iiare /iiyou /iigoing/ii! /iiYou /iihave /iito /iihave /ia iregistered /iiaddress /iiwith /ia iresponsible /iparty! iListen /iiJosie/i…iwe /iidon’t /iiwant /iiyou /ito ileave/i! iLet’s /iiall /iitalk /iiabout /iithis /iirationally/ii./i”

But Josie wasn’t stupid. Smiling Sardonically, she red at Harold.

i“/iI’m iaware /iiof /iiwhat /iiI /ineed iregarding /iimy /iiaddress/i; iwhere /iiI’m /iigoing /iis bof /bino /iibusiness /iito /iiyou/ii. /iiBut /iiplease/ibi…/i/bistop /iiwith /ithe i‘/iifatherly/i‘ iact/i. iWe /iall iknow /iithe /iireason /iiyou /iireally want /iime /ihere is ito /imake isure /iI don’t tell ithe /iitruth/i.i” /i

Harold’s face fellpletely ashen. How had she figured that out!! Seeing his reaction; Josie knew her guess was correctb. /bChuckling while shaking her head; she headed towards the door. Suddenly, she stopped mid exit and turned

back to Laura.

“iOh/i, iand /iMrs. iTaylor/i….istop /iisaying /iiyou /iisuffered /iithese /iipast /iifour /iiyears/ii. /iiYou /iihave /iino /iiidea /iiwhat /itrue isuffering /iiis/ib…./binot /iiyet /i

ianyway/ib…/bb” /b

With that, Josie left the estate leaving the Taylors stunned. Anxiety began to creep into Laura’s chest. What was that supposed to mean? The only one that remained quiet was Christian. He wasn’t sure why, but something told him Josie would not take their deception lightly. He felt as if tidal wave of storms were headed their way.

i“/iiD/ii–/iDid she ijust /iithreatened /ius? iThat /isounded ilike /ia ithreat/ii…/iiright/ii?/ii” /i

Laura and Harold stood in silence. Their expressions were too hard to read.

Jamie looked at Christian nervously. Christian rolled his eyes and walked forward. This entire situation became more than he expected. However, there two things he was certain of; one, Josie was out for blood…if they didn’t get a hold on her soon she could be dangerousb; /band two…Vanessa wasn’t who he thought she was.

i“/iBefore I speak iabout /iJosie…I need irification /ion isomething/i.”

Christian turned to Vanessa; her face was filled with nerves. Jamie may have acted like he didn’t hear that recording; but she knew Christian wouldn’t. Still, she tried her best to y the sweet and innocent sister she’d always yed.

b“/bbIs /bisomething /iwrong big ibrother/i?i” /i

b17:58 /bbThu/bb, /bbSep /bb25 /b

Silence.

:

b51 /b

Christian walked directly in front of Vanessa; his tone was stern yet distant.

i“/iVanessai…/iiwhy /iidid /iiyou /iigo /iisee /iiJosie/ii? /iiAnd /iibefore /iyou ianswer/i…remember ithat /iwe iall /iheard the irecording/ii./ii” /i

Vanessa nervously took a step back. Christian had never taken this type of tone with her. Realizing she was backed into a corner; Vanessa resorted to the one thing that always worked…her tears. She instantly began bto /bbcry /bbas /bshe answered Christian’s question. Through sobs she began to exin.

i“A/i–iAt /iifirst/i…I ireally /iidid /iijust /iiwant /ito itell /iher about iher /iigrandmother/ii!! /iiI /iiknew /ishe iwould /ibe upset iif /ishe found out iter/ii! /iiB- /iiBut /iithen/i…ishe/i…she looked at me so imean/ii!!! /iiIt /iiwas /iso much ihatred /iin her eyes!! iLike /iit was imy /iifault-/i”

bi“/i/bbiIT /i/biWAS /iYOUR iFAULT/ii!!!/i”

Chrisitan yelled at Vanessa causing her along with everyone else to jump. Harold intervened in an attempt to calm him down.

i“/iiChris/ib…/bcalm idown/ii! /iiShe’s /iistill /iiyour /isis-b” /b

“iSo /iiwas /iJosie idad/ii!! /iiBut /iibecause /iiwe /iiprioritized /iiVanessa over /iiher/ii…/iiwe’re /inow all iin /iithis /iimess/ib!/bbi” /i/b

Christian was bing frustrated. It seemed like only he cared about how dangerous this could be. Harold looked away in shame…he knew what Josie had been through during those four years. Christian was right.

“iYou /iiall /ineed ito /iiknow /iisomething.-/i”

i“/iiChristian /iiwait/ii! /iI ithought /iiwe /iidecided-/ii” /i

i“/iIt’s too ite /iifor /iithat /iinow /iidad/i! iLook /iiat /iihow /iifar /iithis /iihas /iigone/ii! /iiMaybe /iiif /iithey /iiall /iiknew /iithe /iitruth /iithey /iwould istop /iiprovoking /iiher/ii!/i”

Laura red at Harold, her voice low with guilt and confliction.

“iKnew /iiwhat/i? iWhat /iihave /iiyou /iibeen /iikeeping /iifrom /iusbi?/i/bb” /b

Harold’s face went ashen, drenched in guilt. Laura cut over to Christian.

“What ithe /ihell is going oni!/ii” /i

Christian took a deep breath.

“Josie was severely abused during those four iyears /iin prison.”

Everyone’s eyes widen. Panic flooded Laura’s face, her hands began to shake as she slowly walked towards Christian. Gripping his shirt, tears began to fall down her cheeks.

b17:59 /bThub, /bbSep /bb25 /b

“W–iWhat /iido /iyou mean…a–iabused/ibi?/i/bi” /i

:

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51

Christian couldn’t bare to tell her all the details. Shooting a quick look at his father, he spoke in a low tone.

“iWe /idon’t ihave /iiall /iithe /iidetails /iiyet/i. iBut /iifrom /iiwhat /iwe’ve learned so ifar/i, the abuse seemed to be throughout her bientire /i/biduration/i. It seems ilike /iishe /iiwas /iitargeted/i. iI /iihave /iimy /iiteam /iilooking /iiinto /iiit /iinow/ii./ii” /i

Laura’s body felt like it may go limp. Abused! She’d sent her daughter…that never did anything ept beg for her love…to a ce to be abused…in that moment…Laura realized she’d lost any chance of ever being Josie’s mother. She’d hoped that she may be able to redeem herself once Josie came back home; but the truth was clear.

With tears falling down her face; she released Christian’s shirt and walked away; taking onest look at Harold before leaving the foyer. Once she was out of earshot; Jamie began to question Christian.

i“/iiChris/ii…/iiare /iiyou /iitelling /ime isomeone /iipurposely /iiabused /iiJosie /iiKNOWING /iishe /iiwas /ia iTaylor/ii? /iiWho would /ibe that bold? That

istu-/i”

“She’s not a iTaylor /iianymore /iiJamie/i. iWe /iidenounced/ii…/iremember.i” /i

Jamie’s eyes widen with guilt. His voice slightly trembling.

“iH/i–How bibad /i/biwas /iithe /iiabuse/ibi?/i/b” fn6484 For more chapters visit fin?novel/fn6484

Christian looked directly at him.

“biYou /i/bireally /iiwant /iito /iknowi?/ii” /i

Harold remained silent. It was as if over 20 years of regret was crashing into him.

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