GoodReadEverett's stance was as firm as the ancient oak that towered in the family's sprawling estate; when it came to justice, evidence was king, and he wouldn't lift a finger to tip the scales. Nor would he allow anyone else to tamper with the fairness he had promised to Dorothy.
He remembered her plea - all she wanted was fairness, to clear her mother's name, and to see the guilty face their comeuppance. It was a fair ask, nothing more.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSo, Everett handed over the most elusive evidence and key witnesses to Dorothy, doing his utmost to ensure she had a fighting chance. Beyond that, he refused to dwell on the messy tangles of what-ifs.
"Murder?" The word hit Jonathan like a bolt of lightning, shaking the composure he was known for. He staggered back, his voice barely above a whisper, "Your mother... she couldn't have..." "Heather and Dorothy's mom had bad blood for ages. If she was going to act, she wouldn't have waited this long." Silence hung heavy between them.
"No one wishes more than | do that it wasn't my mother involved.” If only that were true...
How perfect that would be.
Everett bent down and scooped his son and daughter into his arms. "I'm here to keep my word, that is, to change their last names." "Everett, you can't just ignore what's happening with your mother!" Jonathan's mind was far from the matter of name changes.
He stepped closer to Everett, his eyes pleading. "If your mother ends up in jail, it'll be the death of her!" "She should've thought about that before she laid a hand on Dorothy's mother, instead of leaving the problem at my doorstep." Jonathan's face darkened. "Are you really going to turn your back on your mother for Dorothy?" "If she can prove her innocence with evidence, that's what | want to see." More than Jonathan, more than anyone else wanted to see.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmEverett had wanted to confront his mother as soon as he'd heard the news. But he refrained, foreseeing the excuses they'd muster - denial, evasion. It was all so meaningless.
"I'l have a word with your mother today and find out what really happened!" Jonathan's temper flared, but he held back, asking once more, "Everett, if... if your mother got involved in Heather's mess in a moment of folly, you can't just do nothing, right?" "I wasn't there to stop my mother from harming Dorothy's mother back then, and | have no place now to interfere with Dorothy seeking justice.” "Even if she wronged Dorothy, your mother—she's always been good to you!" A sardonic smile played on Everett's lips.
"She gave birth to me, and raised me; | can't argue with that. If she hadn't caused this trouble, caring for her would be my duty.
But pushing me to marry Heather, just to ease her own conscience? | can't accept that.” The Lopez family had indulged Heather enough over the years, granting her status, wealth, and influence to comfortably live out her days. But Heather's greed knew no bounds - and who could be blamed for that? Even if he owed Heather a life debt, Everett had paid it in full! "You're bewitched by that Dorothy!" Jonathan accused. "You're even abandoning your own mother." "Don't you dare talk about Mommy that way!" Langston bristled with indignation, rushing to defend, "My mommy is the best person in the whole world!" Abigail, frowning, clung to her father's neck and said, "Daddy, let's go. | hate it here." Everett looked at his son and daughter, nodding slightly, "Alright, we'll leave." He had said all there was to say.
Because of his parents, he had already lost Dorothy. That punishment was cruel enough.
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