Chapter 65 Isn’t That Just Human?
Tilda had been forced to break her own wings, crush her own pride.
And what did she get in return?
Depression, self-harm, suicide, a life wasted on denying herself, and Kyla killing her in a fire.
The Jensons, all of them, just stood together in their distrust and contempt, and left her to burn alive in those flames, not even looking back once.
Tilda wondered if they knew what it felt like when fire ate through your skin, your flesh, your bones, your eyes, your mouth, and your tongue, burning you away inch by inch?
When you wanted so badly to live, but couldn’t.
When you wanted so badly to die, but even death wouldn’t come.
When all you could do was beg for it to end faster, just to escape the pain of being burned alive.
And worse than the fire was Russell’s kick.
That one cruel kick to her stomach.
The same stomach that had once taken a bullet for him, saving his life.
She had hovered at death’s edge more than once, her body covered in scars that never went away.
Every winter, those scars throbbed, sharp and deep.
Back then, she couldn’t even use the bathroom on her own–she needed a hospital colostomy bag.
She endured every strange stare, every smirk from her brothers, and the open disgust in Russell and Blair’s eyes…
“Tilda?”
Andy’s worried gaze caught her laughter as it spun out of control.
He knew his gut was right.
Buried in that laugh was sadness so heavy it couldn’t be hidden.
Blair panicked when she heard Tilda’s maniacal laughter. “Tilda, why are you laughing? Am I wrong?”
“So I was wrong. I was wrong this whole time.
“I thought you just didn’t like me. That you didn’t want me back with the Jensons. That’s why you stood by, cold and silent, while I was being tortured.
“But I never thought that you actually believed it was normal. Every wound I got, every scar, every betrayal - you thought it was what I deserved.
“Blair, listen to me. You think being a Jenson daughter is some great reward? To me, it’s worth less than dirt.
“This time, I’ll see you in court. I’ll make sure you pay.”
Her words weren’t angry.
They were calm–so calm it was scary, even to her.
Her heart had already turned to ice, frozen beyond anyone’s reach.
And inside that numbness, she felt peace.
Like this, she couldn’t be hurt anymore. Not by this cruel family.
Tilda dropped those words and walked away.
She didn’t look back, not once.
Blair reached out, wanting to grab her.
Her chest ached with guilt. She knew deep down she’d done terribly wrong, but in her heart, she still thought of the Jensons’ reputation first.
She wanted to use “love” as leverage, to pull Tilda back, to stop the lawsuit, to protect their image.
Because without that, what dignity would the Jensons have left?
She told herself mistakes could be fixed.
She told herself this wasn’t just an excuse.
But Andy stepped in front of her.
“Mrs. Jenson, every mother has her own nature. This is your family matter, and usually I wouldn’t interfere.
“But as a lawyer and as an outsider watching–I’ll say this: When someone watches a victim suffer, does nothing to help, and then dares to justify it… that person is part of the crime.
“Justice that comes too late isn’t justice at all.
“If you want to brand yourself as the mother who fought against the world to get her daughter back, then ask yourself–do your actions live up to that image you’ve painted?”
And the most painful part of it all…
The person who stood by coldly, watching Tilda get destroyed, was her mother.
Her mother by DNA, by science, by blood.
This woman paraded around like some great savior, claiming she smashed every wall to get her daughter back.
She was disgusting and absurd. She made him feel sick.
Blair froze.
Andy’s words struck her like thunder, his voice carrying a murderous edge he could no longer hide.
Because Andy wasn’t just any lawyer. He was a legend in the courts, the underground’s most infamous broker, the one even the dark web called the best.
He came from a world so dark, so ruthless, that Blair couldn’t even imagine it.
And he had survived that world and fought his way out of it just to stand here now, brilliant and untouchable.
Once he revealed his real strength, even Russell wouldn’t be able to handle him.
And for Andy–usually so aloof, so relaxed floating through life like it was just a game–to finally let his anger show?
That meant Blair had gone too far, far enough to wound the light in his life.
By the time Blair snapped out of her shock, Andy and Tilda had disappeared without a trace.
“D–did I really do wrong?
“But where exactly did I go wrong? Tilda had just come back to the Jensons. She needed time to adjust.
“Children all have their moods. If I forced it, it would’ve backfired.
“Of course, at first there would be distance. But over time, wouldn’t it have gotten better?
“Kyla had been with us for years. Suddenly, she had an older sister. Everyone worried she couldn’t handle it, so they gave her more attention, and Tilda less. Isn’t that just human? How is that even remotely wrong?”