"If I continue to stay here, I can't guarantee that I won't seek revenge one day. I don't want to hurt anyone, but him—I can't make any promises about him."
Such a chilling statement nearly frightened Mrs. Johnson out of her wits.
She stared at Amanda Smith, word by word she said, "I won't let you hurt him."
Amanda's expression was heartless as she spoke with icy detachment, "You brought me back; you should have been prepared for this. I'm no saint—I can't repay cruelty with kindness. If you insist on keeping me here, you're giving me the opportunity to hurt him."
Mrs. Johnson glared at Amanda with fury. At this point, she dared not do anything to Amanda, for Samuel was her greatest taboo—harming Amanda would likely provoke a life-and-death struggle with him.
She was panting with rage, unable to hide her fury, yet she found she no longer had any leverage over Amanda. After a long moment, Mrs. Johnson finally admitted defeat in this standoff.
