Selma Payne's POV:
My mother gave me a warm hug when I returned to a private family setting.
"Welcome back, my dear daughter." She almost couldn't hold back her tears. "I'm very sorry for Aldrich, for everything."
I still wanted to pretend everything was normal, but as a child, I could never hide it from my parents. Besides, this wasn't a video call thousands of miles away. I did not doubt that if it weren't for Rhode covering for me, my adoptive parents would've seen through me in a minute, just like my biological parents.
I really wanted to tell them that I could take it all, but the words turned into aggrieved whimpers. It was as if my body had developed its own consciousness and was completely out of my control. I was like a child venting all of my negative emotions.
