Chapter 466 A Painful Truth

The whole mess had driven Tilda to the edge. She cut all ties with the Jensons and walked away from them.

Everything that followed was Blair’s doing. She was the one who had ruined their family.

Tilda wanted them gone. Blair could understand that kind of rage.

And yet, even with all that anger in her heart, Tilda still saved them and helped the country. That kind of strength and vision shook Blair to her core. She couldn’t help but feel pride in Tilda.

Tilda was incredible. Even crises the government couldn’t solve, Tilda had handled with ease.

“She’s doing fine,” Russell said quietly. “But her hatred for us is impossible to mend. In her eyes we don’t exist. She doesn’t care about us anymore.”

He pictured Tilda in Jeselton, laughing and having fun with her friends. Then he thought of the way she had treated Darell–shaming him, even hitting him.

Darell still felt the dull ache in his stomach. Just thinking about that day in the hotel, when Tilda had kicked him, made it throb all the worse.

Seeing her again had been worse than not seeing her at all. Not only had he been kicked, but he also hadn’t gotten the answers he wanted.

Tilda was living well.

Hearing Darell admit it cut deeper than anyone had expected. Even though Russell and the others had braced themselves, his words landed like a knife to the heart. It didn’t draw blood. But it hurt more than any wound.

So this was the truth: Tilda had torn the family apart, leaving everyone in misery, while she herself enjoyed her life with friends. They once thought that even if she severed ties with the family, she might still feel a trace of longing.

But they had been fooling themselves. They were the only ones left with guilt.

“I get it. I’ll tell you everything,” Russell said at last. He kept his words short, but he shared enough of what had happened between Tilda and the family. If he tried to tell it all, it would take ten days and nights and still not be finished.

When Darell finally heard everything, he fell silent. He had expected things to be bad. But he had never imagined so much could happen in just six months and that he had been kept in the dark the whole time.

Blair hurried to explain, “Son, don’t blame your dad; this was my idea. While you were holed up working, we couldn’t let you get distracted.”

Justin added, “They also kept us in the dark. We only found out when we came home.”

“I know you were only trying to help. I just didn’t expect–”

Darell had just learned that Tilda had saved Blair and Dominic’s lives. She’d done things even Endralsia couldn’t manage. Seeing Tilda now, he would never have guessed she had that kind of power.

In a real sense, she had saved the family. It was a lot to take in. Darell felt his head spinning.

If everything that had happened was the same as in his dream… was it real? They would never kill Tilda. They would never smash her memorial frame.

If it wasn’t a dream about the future, maybe, as Silva had said, there was another possibility. It was a dream from a parallel world.

Damn it! Darell, who had always clung to science, was starting to believe in impossible things. The thought made him feel sick.

“I’m sorry!”

Suddenly Kyla couldn’t hold it in any longer. She collapsed to the floor, sobbing. She covered her face as tears rolled down.

Everyone jumped. “Kyla, what’s wrong?”

“I know how important Tilda is to everyone. If it weren’t for me. If it weren’t for what I did–” She choked on the words. “Tilda probably would have forgiven everyone and come home. But she’s avoiding me. That’s why she won’t come back to Mom and Dad!

“I’m not even blood. Everything I have–being treated like a princess–that’s all because everyone’s kindness. It’s a miracle.

“Mom, Dad, I want to leave this house. I want to go far away. If I’m gone, maybe Tilda will forgive you and come back.”

With that, Kyla ran out of the living room.

“Kyla!” they called after her.

No one had expected such an outburst. Everyone was shocked.

Blair hurried after her to soothe her. Justin and Kayden followed.

Kyla slammed her door shut.

“Kyla, open the door. Don’t make me worry!” Blair shouted.

“Yeah, Kyla. We didn’t mean that!”

“You’re the same as Tilda,” Justin called. “You’re one of us. You’re our sister!”

They kept knocking on her door, calling out to her.

“Thank you all for trying; I appreciate your kindness,” Kyla said from behind the door. “But my mind is made up. I know if I don’t leave, Tilda will never come back.”