Chapter 216

Hank’s fingers curled into a fist at his side. His heart thudded so hard he thought it might burst.
What was Reese even getting at? Was she saying she hadn’t caused the accident that killed their mother? Or was she trying to claim Grace had lied to him and Dad all those years ago?
He couldn’t forget that recording. Reese’s high-pitched sobbing, the screech of tires, all of it screaming that her tantrum was the reason Mom crashed the car.
No way.
He shook his head before he could stop himself.
He’d spent all these years hating Reese for their mom’s death. If the recording wasn’t real, what had he been holding onto? Why had he blamed his own little sister?
The police had brought that tape right to their door. They’d handed it straight to Grace, right in front of everyone. There was no way she could have tampered with it, not in front of them all.
And years ago, no one even knew how to fake a tape. Grace was just an ordinary woman. How would she even know where to start?
No. Reese was just trying to push the blame away.
Hank pulled himself together and glared at her, his eyes hard with disgust.
“Reese, quit making stuff up to get yourself off the hook. The police brought that recording straight to our house.
“Grace wasn’t even married to Dad yet. She’d barely even been in our home. What could she possibly get out of faking evidence?
“If Dad ever found out she’d messed with it, he’d be the first to kick her out. Don’t make it sound like everyone’s as sneaky as you.”
“What did she get?” Reese’s voice was barely more than a whisper, but it trembled with pain. “Mom died. She took Sofia and married Dad, didn’t she?”
She tried to smile, but it just looked tired, her eyes full of hurt. “You believed it just because the police gave it to her? Did any of you actually go to the station and check? Did you ever ask the officer who handled the case?
“No. None of you did.”
She lifted her gaze, meeting Hank’s eyes with a sadness that cut right through him.
“From the start, you all decided it was my fault Mom died. The truth didn’t matter. You just wanted someone to blame, someone to carry the pain you couldn’t handle.”
“That’s not true!” Hank shot back, her words stinging like a slap. “Yeah, losing Mom broke us. But before we even heard that tape, we were planning to bring you home
“But in the end, you still blamed me!” Reese cut him off, clutching her chest like she was holding herself together. “You’d rather trust Grace than me Just like before, when Sofia said a few words and you instantly believed I was framing her!”
“Don’t act like those two things are the same!” Hank’s voice got louder, anger spilling over. “Grace has held this family together for years! ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ.net
“Yes, Sofia messed up. Dad already punished her, and in a few days he’s coming to Bridger Lake to take her back to Brookfield. She won’t bother you or Sebastian again. Stop trying to tear my family apart!”
“Tear you apart? Your family?” Reese let out a sharp, bitter laugh, her whole body shaking with years of bottled-up pain and anger.
She straightened up, eyes blazing as she stared Hank down. “Hank, open your eyes!
“If Grace hadn’t shown up at our
door with Sofia, saying Sofia was
te
Dad’s kid and begging Mom to let go, Mom never would have given up on Dad She never would have asked for a divorce. And if she hadn’t gone back to Bridger Lake, she never would have been on that road to see Dad when the accident happened.”