<b>Chapter </b><b>217 </b>
<b>Chapter </b><b>11</b>: <b>Back </b><b>to </b><b>the </b>way <b>things </b>used to <b>be</b><b>. </b>
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Josie opened the door expecting it to be Christian. Instead, it was Laura. She had this weary look on her <b>face </b><b>as </b><b>if </b>she had been mentally battling something. After a few moments of silence<b>, </b>Josie spoke <b>first</b>.
<i>“</i><i>Is </i><i>there </i>something you need <i>Mrs. </i><i>Taylor</i>?
<b>51 </b>
Hearing Josie call her ‘Mrs. Taylor‘ made Laura’s heart ache deeply. When she first met her long lost daughter, Josie was overjoyed. Her eyes were filled with so much love and admiration. She remembered how Josie beamed knowing it was Laura she actually looked like.
“It’s so <i>amazing</i><i>! </i>I <i>spent </i><i>years </i><i>wondering </i><i>what </i><i>distant </i><i>family </i><i>member </i><i>I </i>looked like! Turns <i>out</i><i>…</i><i>I </i><i>look </i>just like <i>my </i><i>mom</i><i>!!</i><b>” </b>
But Laura…although she wasn’t necessarily mean to Josie….she was cold and distant. Too afraid that if she showed her biological daughter any affection; it would jeopardize the rtion she had with her adoptive daughter.
Now…there was no more love, no more admiration, no more beaming. Josie looked at her <b>as </b><b>if </b>she were a stranger in the street; and that was when she wasn’t looking at her with pure disgust.
<i>“</i><i>I </i><i>was </i><i>just </i><i>checking </i><i>on </i><i>you</i>. I <i>noticed </i><i>you </i><i>were </i><i>back </i><i>home</i>.<i>” </i>
Josie looked at Laura with a nk expression.
<i>“</i><b><i>I’m </i></b><i>moving </i><i>out</i><i>. </i><i>I’m </i><i>just </i><i>here </i><i>to </i><i>collect </i><i>my </i><i>things</i>.”
Laura’s eyes widen! Moving out! To where!!! Laura looked frantically past Josie and saw her fully packed suitcase.
<i>“</i>Josie<b>! </b><i>Let’s </i>not be <i>rash</i><i>!! </i>You don’t <i>have </i>to do <i>this</i>!<i>” </i>
Josie looked at Laura almostughing; did she truly not get what was going on?
<i>“</i>Mrs. <i>Taylor-</i><b><i>” </i></b>
“<i>I’m </i>your <i>mother</i><i>!!</i>”
Laura yelled out in a panicked frustration. She’d told herself that the whole “Mr. & <i>Mrs.</i>” thing was just Josie’s way of being dramatic. Wanting to hurt their feelings some; but eventually she would go back to calling them all by their formals. But now…now she was leaving?
<b>“</b><b>As </b>I was <i>saying </i>Mrs. <i>Taylor</i>…It’s not healthy <i>for </i>me to be here. I have to leave.”
Josie turned around and grabbed her suitcase and bookbag; walking past Laura. As she made her way downstairs, Laura followed yelling hysterically.
<b>17:58 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
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“Josie!!! Stop <i>this</i><i>!!! </i><i>Why </i><i>are </i><i>you </i>acting <i>this </i><i>way</i><i>!!! </i><i>Why </i><i>are </i><i>you </i>being so got damn <i>dramatic</i><i>!!!</i><i>” </i>
Josie stopped walking; by now, everyone heard themotion and made their way downstairs.
<i>“</i>Jesus <i>Christ</i>…what <i>the </i><i>hell </i><i>is </i><i>going </i>on now<i>? </i><i>Is </i>it going to be <i>something </i>every <i>time </i>shees home<b><i>?</i></b><b><i>” </i></b>
Jamie fussed as he made his way to the foyer. Vanessa walked behind him slowly; too afraid to get close <b>in </b><b>case </b>Josie pped her again. Laura ignored both children, keeping her focus on Josie.
<i>“</i><i>Josie</i>…<b><i>I </i></b><i>have </i>been <i>trying </i><i>to </i><i>be </i><i>reasonable </i><i>with </i><i>you</i><i>. </i><i>I </i><i>understand </i>you <i>were </i><i>locked </i><i>up </i>for <i>several </i>years. <i>But </i>this has gone on <i>far </i><i>enough</i><i>! </i><i>Why </i><i>can’t </i><i>you </i><i>just </i><i>let </i><i>it </i><i>go</i>!<i>” </i>
Josie stared as Laura with pure disgust in her eyes, causing Laura to slightly shudder. In an eerily calm voice, Josie responded.
“<i>What </i><i>exactly </i><i>are </i><i>you </i><i>asking </i>me <i>to </i>‘<i>let </i><i>go</i><i>?</i><i>” </i>
Laura was taken aback; she hadn’t expected that to be Josie’s rebuttal. <fndaac> Latest content published on Find_Novel(.</fndaac>
“W–<i>Well</i><i>…</i><i>what </i><i>I </i><i>meant</i><i>…</i><i>I </i><i>was </i><i>only </i><i>asking </i><i>if </i><i>we </i><i>could </i><i>just </i><i>go </i><i>back </i><i>to way </i><i>things </i><i>were</i>. <i>You </i><i>should </i><i>know</i><i>…</i><i>this </i>was hard <i>on </i>all of <i>us</i><b><i>.</i></b>”
By now, Christian hade into the foyer as well as Harold. Before Josie could say anything, Vanessa immediately ran next to Laura crying.
Of <b>course</b>. It must be <i>‘</i>poor Nessie<i>‘ </i>time.
“Josie<i>…</i><i>I </i>know <i>everything </i>is <i>my </i><i>fault</i><i>!! </i><i>But </i><i>please </i><i>don’t </i><i>take </i><i>it </i><i>out </i><i>on </i><i>mom </i>or <i>the </i><i>family</i><i>! </i><b>If </b>you <i>have </i><i>to </i><i>hate </i><i>anyone</i>… <i>hate me</i>!! I <i>deserve </i><i>it</i><i>!! </i><i>Maybe </i>I <i>should </i><i>just </i><i>leave </i><i>the </i><i>fam-</i>”
Right on <b>cue</b>, everyone ran to Vanessa’s defense. Jamie of course being the first to speak.
<i>“</i><i>Why </i><i>are </i><i>you </i><i>doing </i><i>this </i><i>Josie</i>!! <i>Nessie </i><i>has </i><i>been </i><i>nothing </i><i>but </i><i>kind </i><i>you</i><i>! </i><i>Why </i><i>bully </i>her like <i>this</i>!!!”
Then Harold.
“Honestly….I’ve tried to <i>be </i><i>patient </i><i>with </i><i>you </i>but enough <i>is </i>enough<i>! </i><i>Why </i>must you take <i>this </i>out on Vanessa! None of <i>this </i>is her fault!!!”
The scene was so absurd Josie began tough hysterically. Harold’s eyes darkened.
<i>“</i>Just what <i>the </i>hell is so funny<i>!</i>”
Josie smiled sardonically.
<b>“</b><i>If </i>it’s not <i>Vanessa’s </i><i>fault</i><i>…</i><i>then </i><i>by </i><i>all </i>means <i>Mr. </i><i>Taylor</i>…point to <i>whose </i>fault it <i>is</i><i>?</i>”
17:58 Thu, <b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
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Before Harold could say anything, Jamie spoke up…always the protector.
“<i>What </i><i>do </i>you mean IF not <i>Ness</i>! <i>How </i><i>would </i><i>anything </i>be her <i>fau-</i>”
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<b>51 </b>
“<i>Did </i><i>she </i>not hit a <i>pedestrian </i>at a <i>crosswalk </i><i>killing </i><i>her </i><i>instantly </i>because she <i>was </i><i>driving </i><i>while </i>intoxicated<i>? </i>Or have you all been <i>lying </i>so <i>much </i><i>these </i><i>past </i><i>four </i><i>years </i><i>that </i><i>you </i><i>really </i><i>convinced </i><i>yourselves </i>I was the one <i>that </i><i>did </i><b><i>it</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>” </i></b>
Jamie’s eyes widen as his face became ashen. It was true, in a way…the Taylors almost forgot it was in fact Vanessa that caused the ident.
<i>“</i><i>That </i><i>was </i><i>an </i><i>ident</i><i>! </i>She didn’t-”
<i>“</i><i>Then </i><i>why </i><i>didn’t </i><i>she </i><i>pay </i>for <i>it</i><i>?</i>”
Laura and Harlod’s faces began to harden. Josie cut her eyes over to Laura.
<b><i>“</i></b><b><i>Is </i></b><i>THIS </i><i>what </i><i>you </i><i>want </i>me to go <i>back </i><i>to</i>? <i>Watching </i><i>all </i><b>of </b><i>you </i><i>fawn </i><i>over </i><i>Vanessa </i><i>and </i><i>gang </i><i>up </i>on <i>me </i>every time <i>she </i>sheds a tear <i>I </i><i>had </i><i>nothing </i><i>to </i><i>do </i><i>with</i><i>?</i><b>” </b>
Laura’s eyes were filled with guilt…Josie had a point…she never said anything to Vanessa and yet somehow she got all of the me. Trying to calm the situation; she lighten her voice.
<i>“</i><i>Josie</i>…I <i>only </i><i>met </i><i>for </i>us <i>to </i>go <i>back </i><i>to </i><i>being </i><i>a </i><i>happy </i><i>family</i><i>.</i>”
Josie stared at Laura with a puzzled expression.
<i>“</i><i>When </i><i>did </i><i>you </i><i>all </i>STOP <i>being </i><i>a </i><i>happy </i><i>family</i>? <i>In </i><i>the </i><i>four </i><i>years </i>I <i>was </i><i>in </i><i>prison</i>…you all <i>managed </i><i>just </i><i>fine</i><i>. </i><i>New </i><i>décor</i><i>, </i><i>family </i><i>photos</i><b><i>, </i></b><i>vacations</i><i>, </i><i>holidays</i>, <i>birthdays</i>…<i>what </i><i>exactly </i><i>did you </i><i>NOT </i><i>do</i>?<b>” </b>
<b>Laura </b>and Harold began to look at Josie frantically. They weren’t used to hearing her call out their hypocrisy<b>. </b>
“And despite <i>my </i><i>taking </i><i>the </i><i>fall </i>for <i>your </i><i>irresponsible </i><i>daughter</i>…not <i>ONCE </i><i>did </i><i>any </i>of <i>you </i><i>visit</i><i>. </i>Unless <b><i>of </i></b>course <i>you </i>count the <i>time </i><i>Vanessa </i>made sure <i>I </i><i>knew </i><i>you lied </i>to me <i>about </i><i>my </i><i>grandmother</i><i>.</i><i>” </i>
Vanessa’s <b>face </b>went ashen<b>; </b>she knew her dad and brother were still upset about her doing that. She immediately intervened.
“Josie!! <i>That’s </i>not <i>what </i><i>I </i><i>wanted </i>to do! <i>I </i><i>just </i><i>wanted </i>you to know she passed! <i>I </i>knew it was something you wouldn’t want <i>to </i>find out once <i>you </i>got <i>home</i><i>!</i><i>” </i>
Jamie immediately spoke up again.
“You see<b>! </b><i>Trying </i>to turn what Ness did into something ugly when she was just looking out for you! Look…I get that-”
“Oh Josie…It’s sad really…your <i>grandmother </i><i>practically </i><i>died </i>in filth. Dad threw her in one of <i>those </i>cheap <i>nursing </i><i>homes</i>…<i>awe</i>…<b>you </b><i>didn’t </i>really <i>think </i><i>he </i><i>would </i>take care of her? Oh that’s so cute.”
17:58 Thu, Sep <b>25 </b>
Josie recited the words that Vanessa said to her that day; causing Vanessa to panic.
“<i>That’s </i>a <i>lie</i><i>!!! </i>I <i>never-</i>”
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<b>51 </b>
Just then, Josie pulled out a recorder ying back the conversation she had with Vanessa the day she told her about her nana’s passing. The words were verbatim. Josie stopped the recording with an eerie smile.
<i>“</i><i>Did </i><i>you </i><i>know </i><i>that </i><i>every </i><i>single </i>call is <i>recorded </i><i>in </i><i>prison</i>? Even the <i>in</i><i>–</i><i>person </i><i>conversations </i><i>you </i><i>have </i><i>through </i><i>the </i><i>phone </i>and <i>booth</i><i>. </i><i>And </i><i>if </i><i>you’re </i><i>an </i><i>inmate</i><i>, </i><i>you </i><i>can </i><i>request </i><i>those </i><i>conversations</i>.<b>” </b>
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