Page 90 of Forged in Flames (Made of Steel 2)

"Yes. And he was so perfect. And so handsome."

Her words made me want to vomit.

"And when he came walking back through the woods, I knew she had told him no. He was wiping tears off his perfectly structured cheekbones. She broke his heart. Just like she did with everyone."

Don Roberts never cried. Don Roberts had no emotion but rage.

"So I promised him the world if he'd take me out of that dump of a town. I promised him everything he'd ever want if he took me with him."

"You chose to go with him?"

"I begged him to take me." A tear rolled down her cheek. "We staged a scene to make it look like I'd died. So that no one would look for me. So that I'd be free. I thought he was my knight in shining armor. But your mom tricked me. She ruined my life!"

"My mom didn't ruin your life, Jane. You ruined your own."

"I was only 16. I made a mistake. By taking her place, I saved your mother."

"No, you made a choice. You can't blame her for that."

"She ruined my life!" she repeated. "But you know that right? You know what kind of man he is? How he gets off on others' pain? How he wants you even more when you scream?"

I winced. "You knew he had me? You knew what he was capable of and you didn't do anything?"

"Do anything?" She smiled. "I thought it was fitting. It was justice for what your mom did to me."

"Justice? Are you joking?" Every word out of her mouth made my blood boil.

"It should have been her. And when I finally escaped, he kidnapped you to replace me. He wanted someone who looked just like me, and we do have a striking resemblance, don't you think? Maybe striking is a bad choice of words. But we look very similar."

I swallowed hard. "I don't think that's true."

"Well, it is."

"No," I said. "I don't think he wanted me because I looked like you. I think he wanted me because I looked like my mother."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Isn't that the only reason he agreed to take you with him? Because you looked like her?"

"Your mother looked like me. Not the other way around. I was born first! Why does everyone always overlook that very important fact?"

"But he was in love with her. Not you."

"You need to untie me. You don't know what you're doing."

"Who was my mother dating?"

"It doesn't matter. It's too late."

"Who was Don's best friend?"

She smiled. "You two have met. But he lied to you. He wasn't who he said he was. That's the thing about men. You can't trust them. None of them. And they only care about looks. Just take your father for instance. He never even knew your mother's real name. He never suspected a damn thing. He never even knew she was still in love with someone else. He was too stupid to..."

My hands were around her throat. I wasn't even sure how it happened. But there they were. I knew what it was like to be on the other side of this. And I was almost positive she had been in this position before. But I tightened my fingers anyway.

"Sadie, let go of her!" V yelled from behind me.

I tightened my fingers. This woman wasn't my relative. She hated my mother. She hated my father. She hated me.

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