Chapter 20 - VICTORIA AND ME
I confronted my mother without Grace.
Grace did not owe her that room.
Victoria looked smaller.
Not less dangerous.
“Did you love Sophia?”
She stared.
“What kind of question is that?”
“Answer.”
“Of course.”
“Then why let her go hungry?”
“I did not know she was hungry.”
“You knew Grace lost housing.”
“I knew she was unstable.”
“You caused part of it.”
“She refused apartments.”
“She refused guardianship conditions.”
Victoria’s jaw tightened.
“She had options.”
“No.”
I leaned forward.
“She had demands.”
My mother whispered:
“She would have taken Sophia away from this family.”
“Sophia is not property.”
“She is a Sterling.”
“She is Sophia.”
Silence.
Then:
“I was protecting you.”
“No.”
“You were twenty-three when Edward died. You barely slept. The board wanted you gone. Grace called ten times a day—”
“She was my wife.”
“She was chaos.”
“She was grieving too.”
“She wanted you to choose.”
“Yes.”
My mother looked almost angry at the simplicity.
“And I would have chosen them.”
There.
The thing she feared.
May you like
She had not protected my choice.
She had prevented it.
