The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 136

In the Dark with Monsters 

HANNAH’S POV: 

The cruelty in her voice, the absolute venom, finally broke something inside me. 

“So you let her abuse me?” I screamed at my mother, my voice echoing off the concrete walls. “You let Janet torment me for years? You punished me for things she did? You destroyed my self-worth, made me believe I was worthless, all because I wasn’t your biological child?” 

My mother’s jaw tightened. Her eyes went cold. And without a single trace of remorse, she answered, “You should be grateful we raised you at all.” 

Grateful. 

The word shattered me completely. 

“Grateful?” I repeated, my voice breaking. “You stole me from my dead parents. You deprived me of knowing who I really was. Maybe there would have been an aunt or uncle. Maybe there would have been grandparents who wanted me. Maybe there would have been foster parents who actually loved me. You ruined my entire life because of your selfishness, and you didn’t even have the basic decency to love me!” 

My voice cracked on the last word, and I couldn’t stop the sobs anymore. 

Janet walked closer again, her heels clicking ominously. She crouched down until her face was level with mine, so close I could see every perfectly applied stroke of her makeup. 

“You still grew up loved,” she whispered mockingly. “You had Elijah’s love. You had those brat children. You had friends. You had a business. Just not the love from the people you actually wanted it from.” 

I let out a broken laugh that dissolved into sobs I could no longer contain. My whole body shook with them. 

“My entire life was a lie,” I whispered. “Everything, every memory and every moment. Even my suffering wasn’t really mine. It was all based on a lie.” 

Janet smiled slowly, like a predator. “It already has. Because while he’s frantically searching for you, while he’s going crazy wondering where you are, he’s not with you. He’s not choosing you. And eventually, when he realizes you’re gone for good, he’ll need comfort. He’ll need someone familiar. Someone who understands him.” 

“He’ll never choose you,” I said with deadly conviction. “Never. He loves me. He loves our children. And when he finds me, and he will find me, none of you will survive what comes next.” 

My mother scoffed. “You really think the world will side with a stolen child over her real family? You think anyone will care about your sob story?” 

“Yes,” I replied hoarsely, my throat raw. “Because real family doesn’t do this. Real family doesn’t steal babies and treat them like garbage. Real family doesn’t kidnap and torture and threaten murder.” 

Silence followed my words. For the briefest moment, something flickered in my mother’s eyes. Doubt, perhaps. Or maybe guilt. But then it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by that cold indifference I’d known my whole life. 

Janet straightened up, smoothing down her clothes. “We’re done talking.”