Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Andrew fixed her with a cold glare. “Sean may be spoiled, but he knows right from wrong. If he offended you, it was only to protect Lydia.
“That’s no excuse for attacking him in public.” His voice turned steely. “The Bennetts raised you with manners for twenty years. Did two years away erase all of that?”
A familiar heaviness pressed against Emily’s chest. She’d known this was coming. Andrew always dismissed her version of events and condemned her without hearing the full story, so his words didn’t sting anymore.
Her reply came frosty and precise. “If you’re just going to blame me, spare me the act of pretending to help.” The hypocrisy turned her stomach.
Lucas cut in, voice edged with irritation. “Andrew’s trying to help you. What’s with the attitude? When you were a kid getting into fights, who always defended you? Now you act like you don’t need him. Drop the act.”
Emily’s fiery temper had made her a target in her youth. She’d never learned to walk away, and disagreements always escalated into physical clashes.
When angry parents came demanding apologies, it had been Andrew-just a teenager himself at the time-who always shielded her from their fury. He never let her face the storm alone.
But that was then. Now, with the Sinclairs clamoring for justice, it was Andrew summoning Emily to grovel before them. The man giving these orders bore little resemblance to the boy who’d once defended her.
Emily let out a bitter laugh. “So you remember it’s childhood history. If you’re just going to make me apologize to them anyway, drop the act.” She spun toward the living room, her voice cutting. “I never asked for your help.”
Lucas was angered by her response. “What’s that supposed to mean? Since when is caring about someone wrong?”
Andrew massaged his temples in frustration. “She’ll appreciate our concern when she’s older.”
Lucas started to protest, but one stern look from Andrew shut him down.
Emily stepped into the living room and found a crowd waiting.
Gale and Emma stood sentry on either side of Lydia, while Sean’s parents loomed over their bandaged son. The entire setup resembled a courtroom, with Emily as the unwitting defendant.
Helen Sinclair, Sean’s mother, shot to her feet the moment Emily appeared. “You’ve got nerve showing your face after what you did to my boy,” she snarled.
Emily’s eyes flicked to Helen before dropping away. She knew they didn’t care about her version of events-they just wanted her submission.
Emma broke the silence first. “Emily, why did you hit Sean and put him in the hospital? You are an adult now. Did I teach you nothing about proper behavior?”
“Would it matter if I said Sean attacked me first?” Emily asked directly, meeting Emma’s eyes. “Would you actually believe I was just defending myself?”
“Enough with the lies,” Emma snapped, her expression hardening. “Lydia told us everything. Sean lost his temper defending her, yes, but this all started because of you. How could you possibly justify beating him like that?”
Emily’s expression remained impassive. “If your minds are already made up, let’s stop pretending. Just tell me what you
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want from me.”
She knew the truth wouldn’t change anything. This conversation was merely a formality.
Gale took her calm demeanor as outright defiance. His hand slammed down on the sofa arm with a thunderous crack. “We have eyewitnesses, Emily. Either drop the act right now, or I’ll have security pull the surveillance tapes and prove it.”