Page 24 of Breaking
Jenna's spoon clattered against her bowl. "What?"
Max leaned back, clearly enjoying himself. "Oh, you didn't know? I figured he would've at least told you. Guess not."
Jenna's grip on the table tightened. "Maxwell Bradshaw," she said, her voice like steel, a tone none of them had heard from her before. "I did not raise you to speak to me like that, and I certainly do not need to tolerate this kind of behavior in my house. If you think Troy's got the right idea, then go hole up with him. I'd rather not see your face until you have learnt your manners."
Max blinked, stunned into silence. Jenna was never anything but calm. He stumbled over his words, clearly thrown. "I-"
She didn't wait for him to recover. She stood, taking her plate to the sink with careful movements , ignoring the way her hands trembled.
Max's shock vanished, replaced with something stormy. "Fine," he snapped, pushing his chair back so forcefully it scraped against the floor. "Maybe I will." He stormed off, slamming the door behind him.
The silence stretched thick between them until Lilly, who had been watching from the doorway, finally spoke. "It's about time."
Jenna turned, eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"
Lilly looked down, shifting uncomfortably. "I... I've felt ashamed about some of the things I've said to you. I didn't think about it before, but-" she swallowed. "Josh's mom overheard me talking to you on the phone a month ago. She sat me down and gave me a proper dressing down for it."
Jenna's throat tightened. "She did?"
Lilly nodded. "Yeah. And she was right. I've been awful. I just-" she hesitated. "I'm sorry. If Josh talked to his mom like that, he would be missing a few teeth."
Jenna exhaled, her anger ebbing slightly. Without thinking, she reached forward and pulled Lilly's stiff body into a hug. For a moment, Lilly didn't move, her arms held awkwardly at her sides. Then, slowly, she relaxed, wrapping her arms around her mother in return. The embrace was tentative but real, the kind of closeness that had been missing for far too long.
"Thank you," Jenna said quietly. "That means more than you know. It feels I have done something right with at least one of you."
They stood there for a moment, the tension shifting into something softer, something long overdue. But even as Jenna felt the warmth ofreconciliation with her daughter, something heavier settled in her chest. So much was still unresolved.
Later, after Lilly had left for Josh's house, Jenna stood next to the sink, staring out into the garden through the large picture window.
She needed to see Troy. Now.
She turned to grab her phone, determined to confront him at his office when it rang in her hand. The number was unfamiliar, but something in her gut told her to answer.
"Mrs. Bradshaw? My name is Detective Jake Harris. I am with the Chester City Police. I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your friend Sasha has been in a car accident. Her foster son gave me your phone number. I have confirmed that she has listed you as next of kin. She's in critical condition at the hospital."
Jenna's breath caught, the room spinning around her. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Oh my GOD!"
"I... I need to get to her. Thank you for letting me know."
She hung up and immediately dialed Troy's number, her hands shaking. The phone rang and rang before Maggie, his secretary, picked up.
"Mr. Bradshaw's office, this is Maggie," she said in her crisp, professional tone.
"Maggie, it's Jenna. I need to speak to Troy. It's urgent."
There was a pause, and when Maggie spoke again, her tone was icy. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Bradshaw, but Mr. Bradshaw is in an important meeting at the moment. I'll let him know you called."
Jenna's voice rose. "Maggie, this is an emergency. Please put me through."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Maggie said firmly. "Goodbye, Mrs. Bradshaw." The line went dead.
Jenna stared at the phone in disbelief. She tried calling Troy again, Max and Lilly next, leaving voicemails that went unanswered. All of Troy's calls were forwarded to his secretary during workhours, so that was useless. Her chest felt tight, the weight of isolation suffocating her. Panic had started to set in making her hands clumsy. Why Sasha?
Finally, with no one else to turn to, she had hap hazardously packed a small bag and set out for Chester on her own. The drive was long and fraught with worry, each mile stretching endlessly before her. By the time she arrived at the hospital, her heart was pounding with dread.
Chapter 23
Jenna
