"Mom, please listen to me. Brother wouldn't do something like that."
Edward trailed behind his mother as he spoke, his voice shaking.
He tried again and again to make her understand, to make her slow down, but she did not stop.
His mother walked fast through the hallway, her steps heavy and uneven.
Her face was full of anger, but also pain.
Tear marks were still fresh on her cheeks, as if they had never dried.
Her hands trembled, and her chest felt tight, like it was hard to breathe.
Just moments ago, Vivian's personal maid had run out of the room.
Her clothes were torn, her hair a mess.
She was crying loudly, screaming that Vivian had assaulted her.
The sound of her cries still rang in his mother's ears.
At that moment, something inside her broke. Her mind went blank, and her heart felt like it shattered into pieces.
Was this really the child she had given birth to?
Was this really the child she had raised with love?
