rk as she stared Ella down like a stain she couldn't scrub o

esentment.

e than hatred, Julianna

dropped herself onto the pristine white couch in the middle of the lavish livi

tic mother?" Julianna asked with a hiss, her voice like poison lace

soaked with silent tears, but the sorrow had now twisted into rage. She had endured enou

low but trembling with suppressed fury. Her fists

e to answer your stupid questions. I heard my son foolishly donated money to your mother's or

her throat. She could

nything," she snapped. "He did that

ut opportunists. I didn't invite your mother here to exchange pleasantries. Here's the bottom line if you can't return the money, th

eart feeling like it had been ripped out, stomped on, and handed back to

er pocket, breaking through the thick silence. The scree

ied her best to hide the tre

l of energy. "Oh my God, Ella! This is huge! I ca

After what had happened with Richard and his fiancée b

ght?" she asked in a near-wh

pull out. Ella, they sent the money. A huge amount. Enough to restart the e

rs gripped the phone tightly

while, something inside her f

sitting like she owned the world. But something shifted in Ella'

Why aren't you saying anything?" Je

ng in a deep breath. "I'll call you

p now, her sadness drying into so

he total amount your son donated. I'll return every penny within

aughter. "What? Ella, no! What are you talking about?" she exclaimed. "

eyes, but there was something

to be okay," she said as she helped

ove your courage, Ella. You actually sound determined for once. Fine then, let's s

walked out with her mother, he

-

nutes l

r from the children echoed in the air like fragile be

out first, an

his," Ella said quietly, her voice taut wi

Ella. You've always tried to carry everythin

ldn't give you the life you deserved. I never should've let you marry i

fail me. This is life it throws what it wants at us. But we don't have to keep accepti

ped her mother's tears. "We'r

nt, and Halsey finally whispered, "I

r's forehead. Then she climbed into the

-

oman waiting for exam results. When she finally heard

. "Did you talk to Richard? Did he e

ted, walking straight to the couch an

roze. "Hi

k as a maid to pay off the money. She doesn

.. wow. Just... wow. Do you thin

n't know. But it doe

I'm not just surviving. I'm going to fight back. I'm going to take back ever