Her words were like a knife twisting in my heart. She glanced at me with an unreadable expression before turning away and pulling the blanket over herself.
“Ella, please, don’t say that. It doesn’t matter if we don’t share the same blood. We’re still family. You’ll always be ….”
“Family?” she interrupted, her voice cracking. She flung the blanket off and sat up, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m eighteen, Ma'am! I’m an adult! Even if I were your biological child, you wouldn’t be obligated to care for me anymore. I have no parents because I’m an orphan! He said it himself. I’m not shameless enough to stay in the Barnes Family home any longer!”
"Ella, you know your father didn’t mean that. He’s just feeling resentful right now,” I pleaded, desperately trying to comfort her. “Cassie had suffered all those years she was out there and he’s struggling to adjust. However, he… he’ll come around! He ... he ....”
My words faltered, I was not sure how to comfort Ella. The room fell silent, except for the sound of Ella's quiet broken sobs,