No Way Back

Chapter 22

Anna’s nails bit into her palm as she glared furiously at Jane.

“Your father was right. Compared to Maddie, you’re nothing but a failure.

“I can’t believe I gave birth to a daughter who turned out to be as selfish and unreasonable as you are.

“I felt so guilty about what had happened to you, but all that guilt is gone now. It’s all thanks to you, Jane.

“I wish I had never given birth to you. I wish I had never tried searching for you. I wish that you had died 19 years ago. Why did you appear in my life again?”

Jane had driven Anna mad with anger.

Harsh words spilled from her lips without control.

This was the only way she could express her utter rage.

“Janie…”

Lila’s face paled as she listened to Anna’s gush of vitriol.

She couldn’t be bothered to argue with Anna at all. Instead, she turned her concerned gaze toward Jane.

She was worried about how badly Jane would take Anna’s words and that they would break her best friend’s heart into irreparable pieces.

Lila could feel her chest tighten and her heart shatter as she listened to Anna, even though Anna was nothing but a stranger to her.

How would Jane, Anna’s own daughter who yearned so badly for her family’s love, feel?

All humor fled Jane.

Her face stiffened into an expression devoid of any emotion.

Her heart, on the other hand…

hurt.

Why was she so weak?

She had had enough pain and disappointment in her past life.

She had decided not to get her heart broken over people who didn’t deserve her love in this life.

But…

Jane wasn’t as strong as she had thought she was.

A healed wound remained a wound.

You could hide it with a bandage, but the scar was still there.

It would hurt once in a while, the pain a reminder of the humiliating past that Jane had suffered.

This was the last time.

Jane would never show her weakness before a stranger again.

never

would never break the hearts of her

dead too. Unfortunately, I’m alive and

Without the Fowler family in my life, my

will become better. I’m

tried to bury her

never

Not in this life.

what they had done to her. The pain, the suffering,

It would stay with her until her dying

at the intense

out of her blind

Her face paled.

Oh my God.

had she said

had let her anger get the

mean anything that she had

said anything so vicious in her

couldn’t believe that the first vicious vitriol she had spewed in her life

the proud, dignified

You don’t need a daughter like her. She’s nothing next

wanted Anna to disavow Jane

a tough fight. She didn’t expect

“No, Diane, I…”

she tried to explain

hadn’t meant what she had

It had been…

the anger talking.

the true colors of the top socialites of Stormton

Luther applauded suddenly.

as stark as day

and Diane.

peanut gallery. However, it appeared that even he couldn’t stomach

and Diane’s behavior must

manager. You have

to speak to your boss. I wish to lodge a complaint.

fired!”

was pointing their fingers at Diane. They

one who made a mistake by offending her. A p*thetic manager had had the guts to do

to speak to the boss

lips quirked up into a smile as he turned his gaze toward a corner of the

Hugh?

Diane froze.

Luther was staring with a look

to his feet

pocket and

freezing up like a mouse that had

breathing and hid herself

aura was too overwhelming for

was too

stay

even look at