Johanna screamed and pointed a finger at Hannah.
“It’s all your fault!
Ever since you came into this family, you took all of Grandpa and Grandma’s love and attention away from me! You’re the reason why I had to resort to such methods! I did nothing wrong! I was just thinking about it. She’s the one who really changed the medicine, and you are the culprit! You’ve been gone from Hoijery for God knows how long! Why did you have to come back?! You’re a jinx to this family!
This is your fault, everything is your fault!”
Johanna was screaming like a deranged person.
She was still on her knees, clutching her hair, her eyes wide and crazed. Without saying a word, Jalen walked up to her and slapped her across the face.
The sharp sound of skin hitting skin rang out in the garden. It was so unexpected that everyone flinched.
A pregnant silence followed, broken only by the faint whistling of the evening breeze.
Bainbridge gaped at Jalen in disbelief. He never imagined that his usually cool and dignified cousin would raise his hand against a woman, much less Johanna.
He couldn’t help but come to her defense.
“Jalen, Johanna is still young and impulsive. It’s normal for her to be careless with her words from time to time. Don’t you think you’re being too hard on her?”
Johanna touched her rapidly swelling cheek as she stared up at Jalen in a daze.
“Jalen… You slapped me… You slapped me because of that bitch, Hannah?
“I didn’t do it because of her,” Jalen said in a voice as cold as ice.
“Grandpa doted on you all your life. He and Grandma let you do whatever you want, no matter the consequence. They nurtured you and took care of you for years, yet you didn’t even think twice about hurting them, just because you were jealous of Hannah? I am so disappointed in you, Johanna. I can’t even bear to look at you anymore.”
Johanna lost all her strength after hearing that, and she slumped on the ground in defeat.
“And you!” Jalen turned to Christy before continuing, “Nothing changes the fact that you replaced Grandpa’s medicine without even thinking the matter through. You can shift the blame to whomever you want, but you are still an accomplice!”
Jalen had never spoken so harshly to Christy before. Needless to say, she panicked.
Johanna screamed and pointed a finger at Hannah.
“It’s all your fault!
Ever since you came into this family, you took all of Grandpa and Grandma’s love and attention away from me! You’re the reason why I had to resort to such methods! I did nothing wrong! I was just thinking about it. She’s the one who really changed the medicine, and you are the culprit! You’ve been gone from Hoijery for God knows how long! Why did you have to come back?! You’re a jinx to this family!
This is your fault, everything is your fault!”
Johanna was screaming like a deranged person.
She was still on her knees, clutching her hair, her eyes wide and crazed. Without saying a word, Jalen walked up to her and slapped her across the face.
The sharp sound of skin hitting skin rang out in the garden. It was so unexpected that everyone flinched.
A pregnant silence followed, broken only by the faint whistling of the evening breeze.
Bainbridge gaped at Jalen in disbelief. He never imagined that his usually cool and dignified cousin would raise his hand against a woman, much less Johanna.
He couldn’t help but come to her defense.
“Jalen, Johanna is still young and impulsive. It’s normal for her to be careless with her words from time to time. Don’t you think you’re being too hard on her?”
Johanna touched her rapidly swelling cheek as she stared up at Jalen in a daze.
“Jalen… You slapped me… You slapped me because of that bitch, Hannah?
“I didn’t do it because of her,” Jalen said in a voice as cold as ice.
“Grandpa doted on you all your life. He and Grandma let you do whatever you want, no matter the consequence. They nurtured you and took care of you for years, yet you didn’t even think twice about hurting them, just because you were jealous of Hannah? I am so disappointed in you, Johanna. I can’t even bear to look at you anymore.”
Johanna lost all her strength after hearing that, and she slumped on the ground in defeat.
“And you!” Jalen turned to Christy before continuing, “Nothing changes the fact that you replaced Grandpa’s medicine without even thinking the matter through. You can shift the blame to whomever you want, but you are still an accomplice!”
Jalen had never spoken so harshly to Christy before. Needless to say, she panicked.
Seeing that the two women had finally calmed down, Hannah waved the butler over and ordered, “Call Johanna’s mother and tell her to come and get her daughter.”
“No! Please, no!” Johanna sat back on her heels and rubbed her palms together.
“Please, don’t tell my mother about this! I can repent for my sins, I promise that I will! I will kneel on the ground for days to express my remorse! Please, I really regret what I did!”
Hannah just looked down at Johanna, her face devoid of any emotion.
Johanna, on the other hand, continued to beg. Even as she swallowed her dignity, deep down, she still blamed Hannah for her current predicament.
If it hadn’t been for Hannah, she would have still been the only young lady of the White family. Now, she couldn’t even call herself a member of this family anymore!
Seeing that the two women had finally calmed down, Hannah waved the butler over and ordered, “Call Johanna’s mother and tell her to come and get her daughter.”
“No! Please, no!” Johanna sat back on her heels and rubbed her palms together.
“Please, don’t tell my mother about this! I can repent for my sins, I promise that I will! I will kneel on the ground for days to express my remorse! Please, I really regret what I did!”
Hannah just looked down at Johanna, her face devoid of any emotion.
Johanna, on the other hand, continued to beg. Even as she swallowed her dignity, deep down, she still blamed Hannah for her current predicament.
If it hadn’t been for Hannah, she would have still been the only young lady of the White family. Now, she couldn’t even call herself a member of this family anymore!