"I did so much for this family, but they only hated me," Anne whispered through her sobs.
The ache in her chest deepened as she thought of the countless times she had tried to please Patricia and Lorie, but nothing had ever been enough. The only person who had ever truly seen her, who had stood by her through it all, was her father. And now he was lying unconscious, unaware of what they had done to her in his absence.
"He'll be devastated when he finds out," she murmured, her words nearly swallowed by her grief. "I can't keep this from him anymore. I've been pretending for so long... acting like we were still a family. But I don't know how to break his heart with the truth."
Unable to contain the sorrow, Anne buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent tears.
"Anne," Denis said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She quickly wiped her tears, trying to compose herself as she looked up at him.
