Everything clicked into place. The silence. The walls. It wasn’t just grief. It was shame.
“Amelia, listen to me very carefully.” I took her hands. “You did not kill your mother. Car accidents are not caused by children crying. Your aunt lied to you.”
“But—”
“No buts. She lied. And she’s a cruel person who wanted to hurt you.”
Tears welled up in Amelia’s eyes. “Why would she do that?”
“Because some people are broken. And not in the way she called you broken. They’re broken where it matters—in their hearts.”
Amelia threw her arms around me. “I was so scared.”
“I know, baby. But you don’t have to carry that anymore.”
That night, I told Richard what Victoria had said to Amelia. His face went from shock to rage in seconds.
“I’ll destroy her,” he said quietly. “I’ll—”
“No.” I put a hand on his arm. “You’ll document it. You’ll make sure she never gets near Amelia again. But you won’t destroy her. Because Amelia doesn’t need to see more destruction.”
“She poisoned my daughter’s mind.”
“I know. And that’s unforgivable. But revenge won’t heal Amelia. Stability will.”
Richard closed his eyes. “How do you do this? Stay calm when I want to burn the world down?”