Chapter 24
At St. Gabriel Reform Academy, Emily had endured countless beatings that nearly killed her, yet she never cried. She knew tears wouldn’t stop the blows.
When the Bennetts misunderstood and shamed her, she still refused to weep. She knew no one would care if she did.
But now, when she received genuine kindness from strangers, an unexpected wave of emotion overwhelmed her. Her eyes burned and her throat tightened, but all she could force out was, “Thank you. I’m okay.”
After all she’d endured during those two hellish years, she was finally okay. And she knew things would only get better from
here.
Emily gently refused the elderly customers’ offers of help. She tucked her remaining money behind the vendor’s counter and then walked away clutching her two new outfits and the ice pop from the kind woman.
Pressing the cold treat to her face, she felt its chill soothe the burning pain in her cheeks and ease the heat of unshed tears. For the first time, Emily recognized her own good fortune-not everyone in this world was cruel.
Broke but determined, she knew what came next-find work immediately and then wait for the perfect moment to escape the Bennetts forever.
The hospital room was quiet except for the rustle of sheets as Lydia adjusted her bandaged ankle, her smile undimmed.
Emma carefully peeled a banana, feeding slices to her precious daughter. Across from them, Vincent sat with a water glass in hand, his gaze tender as he watched.
In this cocoon of warmth, Emily’s existence had been thoroughly erased from their thoughts.
“Lydia!” Andrew’s anxious voice carried through the closed door before it burst open.
He’d left a critical meeting mid-sentence and run every red light between downtown and the hospital-all because of one panicked phone call about Lydia’s injury.
As he saw her propped safely against the pillows, the tension drained from his shoulders. “What happened? How’d you get hurt?” he asked, his voice still tinged with concern.
Lydia squeezed his fingers. “Don’t worry, Andrew. I’m okay. Just a sprain, really. And it wasn’t Emily’s fault, so don’t blame her.”
Andrew’s face darkened with anger. “Emily again? What did she do to you?”
Emma’s smile vanished. “She pushed Lydia so hard that she nearly fell. Right in front of everyone.” Her voice turned low and bitter. “If we hadn’t been there, who knows how bad it could’ve been?”
The thought made Emma’s hands clench-if Emily would do this in public, the private abuse must be worse.
Lydia made no attempt to refute Emma’s words. With practiced gentleness, she soothed her mother. “Don’t upset yourself, Mom. I’m sure Emily didn’t intend any harm. Please don’t let this destroy the bond you’ve built over so many years.
“Sure, her mentioning her Harper name today was a dig about you taking her off the Bennett family tree in front of the press years back. But blood is blood-we’re still family.
Emma’s expression hardened at Lydia’s words. “How dare she blame me? After everything she’s done?” Her sharp eyes snapped to Andrew. “She’s not a Bennett anymore. Our family has no place for that kind of malice.”
1/3
Chapter 24
Andrew adjusted his glasses in silence. He recognized Emma’s outburst as wounded pride rather than true conviction.
The memory remained clear-even after Emily had shoved Lydia down the stairs, Emma’s punishment had been measured. The St. Gabriel Reform Academy had been a last resort, never meant as permanent exile.
Andrew believed that Emily’s unacceptable behavior had provoked Emma’s fury. While he seemed unconcerned by Emma’s outburst, he didn’t challenge it.
When neither of them listened to her begging for Emily, Lydia let out a dramatic sigh. She turned to Vincent and said. “Please talk to Mom. Don’t let her kick Emily out because of me.
“What Emily did to me isn’t important. I’ve handled worse growing up. But if she’s thrown out of the family, I’d never forgive myself.”
Vincent finally spoke, his voice kind. “You’re too kind for your own good,” he said, gently smoothing her hair. “But don’t worry. Your mother doesn’t mean it-she won’t really send Emily away. This isn’t your fault.”
Emma let out a quiet huff but said nothing.
Lydia seemed to relax slightly, whispering, “Thank God.”
She smiled, looping her arm through Emma’s and resting her head against Emma’s shoulder.
In the shadows where no one could see, Lydia’s expression darkened. “Two whole years, and they still brought her back. Why couldn’t they just leave her at St. Gabriel’s? Why force her back into my life?’ she thought bitterly.
As if reading her thoughts, Vincent voiced the question aloud. “How exactly did Emily get reinstated in this family?” He fixed Andrew with a pointed stare.
They had all agreed Emily would remain at St. Gabriel’s permanently if she failed to improve.
Yet now they were all convinced Emily was tormenting Lydia just like before-as if those two years away had changed nothing. He couldn’t understand why the Bennetts brought her back into the family, least of all to live in the same house as Lydia.
Andrew released a weary sigh. “My grandpa wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
Vincent understood all too well. Charles had doted on Emily since childhood, and for these past two years, he’d moved heaven and earth to find her-even enlisting Vincent’s help in the search.
Had Lydia not reappeared when she did, Vincent might have cracked and revealed everything to Charles right then.
Vincent’s mind kept returning to Emily’s words at the mall-her quiet question about whether he truly understood what she had endured these past two years.
He was well aware of St. Gabriel Reform Academy’s strict isolation policy for new students. While he didn’t know exactly what Emily had endured, he couldn’t shake the image of those scars on her leg.
‘Were they really there, or have my eyes deceived me?’ he thought as a strange unease settled in his chest.
Not wanting to upset Lydia, who was finally smiling again, Vincent turned to Andrew. “Let’s give Lydia some space,” he suggested quietly. “There’s something I need to ask you.”
