Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back - Chapter 43: Chapter 43
You are reading Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back, Chapter 43: Chapter 43. Read more chapters of Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back.
Elena crashed to her knees, the joints landing hard on jagged porcelain.
A razor-sharp shard pierced her flesh, sending a searing jolt of pain through her leg.
Julian roared, "Annie brought you food out of kindness and you threw it back in her face! Life at that prison has spoiled you—pick the food off the floor if what's in the bowl doesn't please you!"
Elena did not move; she merely turned her head and met his gaze with icy indifference.
Curling her lips, she said, "So this is the brother who stood before reporters today and vowed he adored me—took only a few hours for you to raise your hand against me."
Julian's eyes flickered. "You brought this on yourself! We forced nothing on you; all we did was ask you to come eat as soon as you got home.
You notice only my scolding, never how I punish the people who hurt you. Elena, you freeze my heart!"
Annabelle sobbed, "Brother, please don't be angry—it's my fault, I never should have barged in and upset Elena. Sis, say you're sorry to him. I'll kneel and apologize for you..."
Tears streaming like petals in the rain, Annabelle started to drop to her knees; Julian, heartsick, caught her in his arms.
Seeing his little sister cry so bitterly only stoked Julian's fury.
"Are you still refusing to apologize?!" he bellowed.
Elena's gaze sharpened like a drawn blade. "I've done nothing wrong—what am I supposed to apologize for?" she enunciated.
Julian clenched his jaw. "So unrepentant! Fine—eat that mess and stop breaking Annie's heart."
Elena tightened her fingers and stared at the food on the floor.
She had eaten swill for an entire year; never did she imagine the brother she'd loved for twenty years would one day force her to scavenge like this.
"All right, I'll eat," she said.
Adaline exclaimed, "Elena, the food on the ground is filthy—you can't possibly eat it..."
While her words sounded tender, she still made no move to intervene.
Like a numb puppet, Elena scooped the rice and vegetables off the floor, shoved them into her mouth, and swallowed without expression.
Julian's brow furrowed as he watched her cram handful after handful between her lips.
The motions were practiced—she never even paused.
She had repeated that very movement for more than a year.
Fury detonated inside Julian; she would rather choke down dirty food than admit fault to him!
In a sudden burst, he kicked the pile, sending the food flying.
"Stop eating! You're the Bennett heiress. Look at me—I'm your brother, you have family! Why must you debase yourself like this?!"
"What will satisfy you, Brother? Eating is wrong, not eating is wrong—I honestly don't know what would make you happy," Elena replied.
"Enough!" Julian slammed a hand against the doorframe; those resolute eyes of hers tore at his heart like claws.
He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Adaline fixed her daughter with a long look. "Elena, you know we never meant to force you to eat anything filthy—could you not bend a little instead of being so hard?"
"Oh? So you didn't want to see me eat off the floor? Yet you didn't stop Brother from forcing me, did you?" Elena retorted.
Annabelle sniffled, "Elena, don't blame Mom... blame me! I hate myself—every time I try to help you, I just make things worse..."
"Hush, it's not your fault," Adaline murmured, cradling her daughter as they left the room.
Lawrence Bennett cast Elena a look of disappointment. "You chill all our hearts," he said, then turned away.
A razor-sharp shard pierced her flesh, sending a searing jolt of pain through her leg.
Julian roared, "Annie brought you food out of kindness and you threw it back in her face! Life at that prison has spoiled you—pick the food off the floor if what's in the bowl doesn't please you!"
Elena did not move; she merely turned her head and met his gaze with icy indifference.
Curling her lips, she said, "So this is the brother who stood before reporters today and vowed he adored me—took only a few hours for you to raise your hand against me."
Julian's eyes flickered. "You brought this on yourself! We forced nothing on you; all we did was ask you to come eat as soon as you got home.
You notice only my scolding, never how I punish the people who hurt you. Elena, you freeze my heart!"
Annabelle sobbed, "Brother, please don't be angry—it's my fault, I never should have barged in and upset Elena. Sis, say you're sorry to him. I'll kneel and apologize for you..."
Tears streaming like petals in the rain, Annabelle started to drop to her knees; Julian, heartsick, caught her in his arms.
Seeing his little sister cry so bitterly only stoked Julian's fury.
"Are you still refusing to apologize?!" he bellowed.
Elena's gaze sharpened like a drawn blade. "I've done nothing wrong—what am I supposed to apologize for?" she enunciated.
Julian clenched his jaw. "So unrepentant! Fine—eat that mess and stop breaking Annie's heart."
Elena tightened her fingers and stared at the food on the floor.
She had eaten swill for an entire year; never did she imagine the brother she'd loved for twenty years would one day force her to scavenge like this.
"All right, I'll eat," she said.
Adaline exclaimed, "Elena, the food on the ground is filthy—you can't possibly eat it..."
While her words sounded tender, she still made no move to intervene.
Like a numb puppet, Elena scooped the rice and vegetables off the floor, shoved them into her mouth, and swallowed without expression.
Julian's brow furrowed as he watched her cram handful after handful between her lips.
The motions were practiced—she never even paused.
She had repeated that very movement for more than a year.
Fury detonated inside Julian; she would rather choke down dirty food than admit fault to him!
In a sudden burst, he kicked the pile, sending the food flying.
"Stop eating! You're the Bennett heiress. Look at me—I'm your brother, you have family! Why must you debase yourself like this?!"
"What will satisfy you, Brother? Eating is wrong, not eating is wrong—I honestly don't know what would make you happy," Elena replied.
"Enough!" Julian slammed a hand against the doorframe; those resolute eyes of hers tore at his heart like claws.
He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Adaline fixed her daughter with a long look. "Elena, you know we never meant to force you to eat anything filthy—could you not bend a little instead of being so hard?"
"Oh? So you didn't want to see me eat off the floor? Yet you didn't stop Brother from forcing me, did you?" Elena retorted.
Annabelle sniffled, "Elena, don't blame Mom... blame me! I hate myself—every time I try to help you, I just make things worse..."
"Hush, it's not your fault," Adaline murmured, cradling her daughter as they left the room.
Lawrence Bennett cast Elena a look of disappointment. "You chill all our hearts," he said, then turned away.
End of Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back Chapter 43. Continue reading Chapter 44 or return to Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back book page.