Chapter 451: The Burden of Pain

Thelma Zane’s POV As I stepped into the private family quarters, my mother wrapped me in a warm embrace, holding me tightly as if I might vanish at any moment. "Welcome back, my dear daughter," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She almost couldn't hold back her tears. "I'm so sorry for Aldrich... for everything." I had wanted to maintain a facade of normalcy, to act as though everything was fine. But a child could never truly deceive her parents, especially not in person. This was not a distant conversation over a video call where I could mask my emotions with carefully rehearsed smiles and casual words. My parents knew me too well. If it hadn’t been for Rhode covering for me, they would have seen through me in an instant—just like my biological parents had done in the past. I had planned to assure them that I was strong, that I could handle everything, but the moment I opened my mouth, all my defenses crumbled. Instead of words, all that escaped my lips were bro