ed around herself, shivering violently. The silence of the penthouse was deafening. Down the hall, she could h

s already beginning to blister, a physical brand of

real voice. Someone who would

number she had known by heart since c

ella? Do you have any

p, but there was an edge to it. An anno

n holding back broke free, choking her. "Mom

expected. Not the horrified denial. Just a heavy, suf

was kissing her. In our be

ear. Awake. And completely devoid of sympathy. "Estella, yo

ars stopping abruptly

sighed, the sound crackling through the speaker

e sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, the matt

rad are meant to be together. You were always just the interim. The p

asting like ash in her mouth. "You let me mar

"You fulfilled your duty to this family. The Lowes needed the Ni

a hot, sickening anger in her chest. "He's cheating o

, Estella? You're not exactly exciting. You don't have Jana's drive or her

ped. She could almost feel the sting on

support for his business. Jana needs this marriage to secure her s

issed, the meals she had cooked, the money she had given Doug without q

commanded. "No drama, no lawsuits. Just take w

ounded hollow and brittle. "You want me t

. "You haven't worked a day in your life. You should be grateful he's giving you

ne wen

phone. The reflection staring back at her

g for a lifeline, and her mother

ed for when you lose something of value. And her family, she now understood, had never truly been hers to begin with. A strange calm settled over her. The shaking stopped. T

ser. The woman in the reflection looked broken, but

sn't going to beg. She wasn't g

mpty room. "If I have no famil