Chapter 302
Stewart sensed something was off. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Judd glanced at Briony, then back to Stewart, his tone resigned. “The mayor meant well–he wanted to tidy up Mrs. Hudson a bit so her family wouldn’t be upset when they saw her. But Mrs. Hudson refused to cooperate.”
Briony’s anxiety spiked. “What does that mean?” she pressed Judd. “What’s happened to my mom?”
Judd looked uncertainly at Stewart.
A crease formed between Stewart’s brows. “Take us to her.”
“Alright. Come with me,” Judd said, turning and leading the way toward a small gate at the edge of the yard.
The gate opened into the mayor’s barn.
Briony hurried after him, hope flickering stubbornly in her chest. It couldn’t be that bad, she told herself. It just couldn’t.
But reality hit her hard the moment she stepped inside.
Huddled in the corner of the barn was a woman with sallow skin, her body curled in on itself. She wore tattered clothes, her hair tangled and matted with straw. Her face was so dirty that only her eyes were visible.
Briony froze, as if struck by lightning. No… this couldn’t be.
She started forward, but someone grabbed her arm.
The mayor’s wife, Farrah, held her back. “She’s not in her right mind. She doesn’t recognize anyone. Don’t get too close–she lashes out if anyone tries to approach her.”
Tears welled up in Briony’s eyes. She looked at Farrah desperately. “She’s my mom. I’m here to take her home.”
“I know,” Farrah sighed. “Mr. Judd already told us. Of course it’s good for you to take her away. But she’s strong. Over these four years, she hasn’t let anyone near her but me.”
Briony’s voice trembled. “Why? Why is she like this? What happened to her?”
Farrah shook her head. “I wish I knew. Four years ago, the fishermen found her washed up on the shore, barely alive. They sent my husband to check on her. He’s a kind man–he brought her back here. She had a terrible fever for a week. The island doctor came several times and said
she probably wouldn’t make it. We were about to call the police…”
She paused, the memory still vivid. “But when my husband and I got back from the station, she was gone. We searched everywhere and finally found her in the barn, clutching a pile of straw and talking to herself. It took all my patience to coax her back inside. But the next day she
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came right back here, and after that, no matter what I said or did, she refused to leave. She just wanted to stay in the barn…”
The more Briony listened, the more hopeless she felt.
It was all too clear.
Her mother had lost her mind.
Four years, living in this barn.
Briony wiped her tears away and moved toward the woman in the corner–her mother, Julia.
Stewart reached out and stopped her. “Didn’t you hear what she said? Mrs. Hudson isn’t herself. She could hurt you.”
Briony shook off his hand and turned to glare at him, her voice cold. “She’s my mother. Even if she hits me or bites me, I’m still taking her away from here.”
Her mother was a living, breathing person–not an animal. She didn’t belong in a place like this.
“There are safer ways to get her out,” Stewart insisted, grabbing her arm again, his grip unyielding. He wasn’t about to let her go.
Briony struggled but couldn’t break free. She shouted, “Stewart, let me go!”
“Calm down!” Stewart’s dark eyes bore into hers. “I brought a professional team with me. They know how to handle situations like this safely.”
Briony’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes blazing with tears. “Don’t think I’ll ever forgive you for this, Stewart. If it weren’t for you, my mother wouldn’t be like this!”
Stewart said nothing, his lips set in a grim line.
He signaled to Carl. “Bring them in.”
“Yes, sir.” Carl immediately pulled out his phone and made the call.
Within minutes, a small team arrived, carrying a stretcher and a medical kit.
Briony eyed them warily, her brow furrowing. “What are you going to do?”
“Mrs. Hudson can’t communicate or cooperate right now,” Stewart said quietly. “If we want to take her home safely, we’ll have to sedate her first.”
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