Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Anger shot through me, burning hot and bright. I shook my head in disbelief at Sarah. She felt no remorse, no regrets for her actions. She sickened me.
“When did your heart die and forget to tell you, Sarah? Who the fuck decided you could play God with not one, but three people’s lives?” My voice rose. “What gave you the right to fuck with me—with us?”
She stood, her posture straight and unrelenting.
“I don’t have to answer to you—or to anyone,” she repeated.
I laughed, a dry, low sound in the back of my throat. “Oh, you’ll answer at some point.”
“Not to the likes of you, you tattooed nobody.”
Ally stood, and I felt the anger rolling off her. “Stop belittling him. Just stop it.”
Sarah regarded her silently, and I wrapped my arm around Ally’s waist, pressing a kiss to her head in silent thanks.
But I was truly curious. “Why do you hate me so much? It can’t only be because I have some ink on my arms. You’ve never given me a chance. I can provide everything in life for your daughter, as well as the fact that I love her. Why doesn’t that count with you?”
“You’re just like my first husband. Full of promises. I didn’t even want a child, but when I got pregnant, he swore he’d stop taking chances. Stop being the hero. I thought he’d get a desk job, but no, he had to keep being a cop. Keep the streets safe. And what happened? He died and left me with bills to pay, a child I never wanted to raise, and nothing to do it with. Our home was worth less than we paid for it, his insurance didn’t begin to make a dent in the debt I owed. If I hadn’t met Ronald, I don’t know where we would have ended up. I owe him everything. He deserves my loyalty.”
I felt Ally stiffen when she heard Sarah’s vile words. She knew the why now. She hadn’t been wanted from the start—at least not by Sarah. She truly believed she owed Ally nothing, and Ronald everything. She had no clue what she was going to lose.
“Our situations aren’t similar. That isn’t going to happen to Ally. I’m not leaving her again.”
“Until the next time,” Sarah fired back.
I shook my head. “Never.” I frowned at her. “Where is your husband? I have a few things I want to say to him too.”
For the first time, she looked unsure. “He is away. Not that he’d be interested in your words anyway.”
I sneered. “Of course not. Neither of you is interested in the truth. You think you owe Ronald? What about what you owe Ally? What about what she deserves?”
“Stop calling her that! She was given every opportunity in life, thanks to Ronald. She had a home, a good education, and all she’s ever done is cause me grief! She almost cost me my marriage!”
I narrowed my eyes. “Every opportunity? She had a roof over her head and you provided her the necessities, but I wouldn’t call it a home. You never gave her the love she needed. You let Ronald blame her for something that wasn’t her fault.”
“She never should have called and asked Oliver to pick her up. If she hadn’t, he never would have been in that convenience store. Because of her actions, Ronald lost his son. His heir. Someone had to pay. She owed him.”
“She owed him nothing. The man who pulled the trigger killed Oliver—not her. You let Ronald control her life because of a debt she never owed. You denied her the one thing she wanted the most her entire life!” I roared, my anger cresting.
“She had everything she needed.”
“Not your love—your affection,” I spat. “You denied her that because you felt you owed Ronald. Because you were too scared to give up the lifestyle you enjoyed, you let him bully and control the life of your child. He lost his son because of the actions of someone else. But he used that accident to his advantage, didn’t he? Capitalized on Ollie being the hero, while blaming Ally for it. He used Ollie’s memory for his own gain. And you sacrificed your daughter knowingly. A child you should have protected and put above him or anyone else.”
“You know nothing of my life or what I sacrificed.”
I couldn’t believe her. She would never accept it. She would never bend on this. “Was it worth it? You’re about to lose your daughter for good. Are you prepared for that, Sarah?”
She crossed her arms, regarding me arrogantly. “If you’re finished with your self-righteous lectures, I’m already done. Now I have to clean up yet another mess you’ve made, Alexandra.”
Beside me, Ally trembled, her shaky voice drenched in tears. “Mother…please.”
Sarah remained rigid. “This is your last chance. Stop this bleeding-heart nonsense, and we’ll forget this ever happened. You can marry Bradley as planned. If you leave here today, with him, you are no longer my daughter.”