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“I’m sorry,” her father said in a tone she’d never hear him use. Measured, cold, detached. “Are you telling me you drove under the influence and crashed into that tree on purpose to get Hannah to come home?”
Please say no. Please say no. Hannah clung to the fading hope that she’d misinterpreted her mother’s words.
“Brilliant, isn’t it? You know how she is. Always needing to fix our family. I’m betting she hopped on the first plane without a thought for those Bensons.”
Oh God, she’d played right into her mother’s hands. Fallen for her sick plan exactly as she’d been expected to. Except for one thing. She’d sure as hell thought about the Bensons. But still, it hadn’t stopped her.
She pressed a hand to her aching chest and sagged against the wall as her knees weakened. What had she done?
The sound of a chair scraping across the floor made Hannah jump. “Please tell me this is some kind of a sick joke,” her father said with shock bleeding into his voice.
“No. It’s not a joke. I’m sorry if I offended your delicate sensibilities, but some parents will do anything for our children.”
She needed to decide. Go in the room and confront the situation or leave.
And go where? To a lonely apartment in a town that no longer felt like home? Back to Vermont to a man she’d hurt, and who probably hated her guts right now? Walking away from JP was the biggest mistake of her life.
“This has nothing to do with protecting Hannah. Or even Kayla. This is about you and your selfish need to control everyone in your life.”
“David!” her mother shouted. “What the hell is wrong with you? We always do what we must do to keep our family close. Think of all we’ve already lost. You should be thanking me.”
Thanking her? The ridiculousness of that statement put the starch back in Hannah’s spine. Straightening from the wall, she charged into the room to find her parents in a tense stare-off.
“Hannah!” Her mother cried, flopping back against the wheelchair as though more injured than she appeared. “You came! Oh, my sweet girl, thank you so much. I’ve been so scared.” She trembled in an impressive display of acting.
Hannah trembled as well, but with a type of rage, she’d never experienced. How many times throughout her life had this happened? How often did she fall for garbage her mother spewed to get her way? And had Mary Anne been more observant? Did she recognize the destructive patterns Hannah missed and push against them?
“I just destroyed the most important thing in my life, so I could rush to your side because I was so sick with worry over the idea of you possibly harming yourself. I’ve been riddled with guilt. I ran from the man I loved and his child, who I also love, to be here for you. But you can’t possibly understand the devastation you’ve caused me because you don’t know how to love anyone but yourself. You’re ill, and I hope you get the help you need, but I’m done.”
She turned on her heel and took one step as her mother cried, “Hannah, wait.”
Slowly, she faced her mom. One chance, she’d give the woman one chance to show remorse for her psychotic actions.
“Now that you’re home, we need to start thinking of a way to get custody of Kayla. We can’t possibly leave her with those people. Our attorney—”
“Your attorney?” Hannah blinked. “You crashed your car on purpose. Your attorney is out of their mind if they’re telling you that you have a chance of getting custody after this stunt.”
Her father also stared at her mother with utter disbelief in his gaze. This had gone beyond conniving and straight to delusional. Had her mother not heard a single thing she said?
“Well, that’s why I need you now more than ever, Hannah. You can vouch for me. Tell them this is all a huge misunderstanding and nothing more than an accident.”
Her laugh was harsh. “I won’t be doing that, Mom. In fact, I will block any attempt you made to gain custody of that baby.” She turned to her father, ignoring her mother’s sputtering. “Dad, I hope you now see how much help she needs, and I hope you get her that help. Until that time, I won’t be able to come around anymore.”
Hot tears stung her eyes, and she marched out of the room, head held high. Losing her family and the man she loved all in one day just might break her, but she wouldn’t back down. For the first time in her life, was free to do whatever she wanted without the looming shadow of her parents’ worry hanging over her head. If only JP was waiting for her to return to Vermont.
“Hannah!” her father called out as she reached the elevator.
