Chapter 189
Tears blurred her vision, and her chest heaved as panic took hold. She wasn’t just mourning her father now–she was mourning the life she had always known. Without Robert, she had nothing. No family, no home, no anchor. She was nineteen years old, a girl with no direction, no one to turn to, and a deafness that had always set her apart
Her breath quickened, coming in short, ragged gasps. The parking lot blurred around her, the edges of her vision closing in as the weight of it all pressed down on her chest. She felt like she couldn’t breathe,
like the world was closing in on her and she was powerless to stop it.
Edwin remained by her side, his presence steady in the midst of her
unraveling thoughts.
“Miss?” he prompted again, his tone soft but insistent. “Would you like to go home now?” He gestured toward the black sedan parked a few feet away on the gravel road, the familiar car that had ferried her
countless times to and from Thornfield Manor.
Home. The word felt foreign now, hollow and uncertain. Isla’s mind
twisted with the question she couldn’t shake: How long would
Thornfield remain her home?
“Yes, Edwin,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. “Thank you.”
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She had barely taken a step toward the car when movement from the
corner of her eye caught her attention. A blur of red swept past her-
Graham’s girlfriend, her vibrant hair flowing behind her like a flame.
“Oh, there you are, Edwin,” the woman called out, her tone breezy but
commanding as she closed the distance between them. “I’ve been
looking for you! Graham says he wants to stay here a bit longer, but
these heels are absolutely killing me.” She thrust her designer purse
into Edwin’s hands with an air of entitlement. “Drive me to the
manor, please. You can come back for Graham later.”
Edwin looked momentarily flustered but nodded, ever the
professional. Isla, however, felt the weight of the moment crush down
on her.
She froze, every nerve in her body firing at once. It wasn’t just the
woman’s dismissive tone or the casual way she commandeered what
was once her sanctuary–it was everything. The realization that
nothing in her life was truly hers anymore struck her with brutal
finality. Her father was gone, her home was slipping through her
fingers.
The thought of sharing the drive with Graham’s girlfriend–her
bright, confident presence so starkly contrasting Isla’s shattered one
-was unbearable. Before she could fully process it, her legs were
moving on their own. She turned abruptly, her footsteps quickening
as she fled the scene, her heart pounding like a rabbit escaping a
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predator.
She didn’t stop, didn’t glance back to see if anyone had noticed her
sudden departure. She ran, her breathing shallow and ragged, until
she found herself back inside the church. Her eyes scanned the dim
interior, her vision blurry from the sting of unshed tears, until she
saw the old confession booth tucked into a shadowed corner. It hadn’t
been used in years, but in that moment, it was exactly what she
needed.
She slipped inside, closing the door behind her. The cramped space
was dark and musty, but it felt safe–safe enough to let her walls
crumble.
The tears came silently at first, rolling down her cheeks in hot,
uncontrollable streams. And then the sobs broke free, wracking her
chest with a force that left her gasping for air. Until it left her gasping
and exhausted.
The darkness inside the booth felt oppressive now, and she pushed
the door open with trembling hands. Her legs felt unsteady as she
stepped into the empty church, the dim light of the fading afternoon
casting long shadows across the pews. She glanced toward the high
windows and saw the sky beginning to darken,
Hours must have passed.
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The church was silent, the once–crowded grounds outside now
deserted. She stepped out into the evening air, her breath visible in
the growing chill. No cars remained, no voices lingered. It was just
her now, alone with her thoughts and the long road ahead.
