Years ago, Brandon had abandoned Bonnie—a girl from a humble background—to chase his dreams abroad. She'd been devastated. Spiraled. Surrendered her guaranteed university admission, her one ticket out of poverty.
To pull her from that abyss, I did everything. Begged my parents to pull strings, to pave her way. Back then, Mrs. Henson called me the family's "lucky star," the son-in-law she'd prayed for.
But as Bonnie's talent surfaced and her career skyrocketed, the dynamic shifted. Mrs. Henson's adoration curdled. Once Mandy went missing, that simmering resentment boiled over into open hatred. Every encounter ended in vicious insults or physical blows.
For years, Bonnie played the mediator. I used to think it was because she loved me. Now I realized it was nothing more than guilt—a payment on a debt she could never clear.
The barrage of accusations made Bonnie rub her temples. She glanced toward the hidden room where Mandy lay, her hand instinctively tightening around Brandon's.
"Mom, Mandy is just missing. Don't speak of her as if she's dead," she said, voice strained. "And you can't pin everything on Justin. He... he hasn't had it easy these past few years. Go easy on him."