Chapter 318
Briony nodded, her voice soft. “I just need a moment. I’ll be right in.”
Ferdinand could more or less guess this had something to do with Stewart. But he didn’t pry; this was Briony’s private business, and if she needed to talk, she would. Since she didn’t, he simply respected her wishes and left it alone.
Once he was sure she was all right, Ferdinand headed back inside, leaving Briony outside to collect herself.
Five minutes later, Briony pushed open the glass door and stepped into the living room.
On the couch, Julia was clutching Little Nina, smothering her with kisses. The little girl, trapped in her grandmother’s enthusiastic embrace, wore an expression of pure resignation–her bright eyes silently pleading for rescue.
When she spotted her mother, Little Nina blinked twice.
Watching them, Briony suddenly remembered a meme she’d seen online: “If you’re being held against your will, blink twice.” She couldn’t help but laugh.
“Mom, you’re laughing!” Little Nina protested, frowning. “Come save me! Grandma’s hugging me so tight I can barely breathe!”
You couldn’t really blame Julia for her outpouring of affection–Little Nina was the spitting image of Briony at that age.
In her confused state, Julia took one look at Little Nina and immediately decided she was her
own ‘Bryn‘.
“My Bryn! My sweet Bryn!” Julia cooed, refusing to let go, repeating the name between kisses.
Little Nina, mature beyond her years, didn’t struggle or complain. Instead, she just looked imploringly at Briony, her brow furrowed as if to say, “A little help here?”
Briony sat down beside her mother, speaking gently. “Mom, could you loosen up a little? You’re squeezing Little Nina too hard–she’s uncomfortable.”
Julia shook her head, clutching Little Nina tighter. “Bryn… She’s mine… My Bryn…”
Apparently, she thought Briony was trying to steal the child from her. She fixed Briony with a suspicious glare.
Gina, watching the scene unfold, shook her head in disbelief. “Well, that’s a new one. Now there’s a little Bryn–she doesn’t even recognize the grown–up version anymore!”
Briony felt helpless. She could only prompt Little Nina to try reasoning with her grandmother.
Little Nina was smart. With just a nudge from Briony, she caught on immediately.
“I can’t breathe!” Little Nina cried out dramatically. “Help, I’m suffocating-”
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Julia froze.
Briony gave her mother a gentle reminder, “Mom, you’re holding her too tightly. She’s not comfortable.”
Julia looked down at the child in her arms.
Little Nina, ever the actress, squeezed out a couple of tears. “You’re hurting me!”
Julia panicked, releasing her at once and fumbling to wipe away her tears with the edge of her sleeve. “Don’t cry, Bryn, don’t cry…”
Little Nina’s face was red from all the rubbing, but she managed to keep her composure.
Briony watched, torn between sympathy for her daughter and the absurdity of the scene.
In the end, it was a cartoon on TV that saved Little Nina.
With an episode of “Bear & Woody” playing on the screen, Little Nina and Julia sat side by side, big and small, utterly absorbed.
Briony and Ferdinand stepped out onto the balcony to talk.
Julia was showing signs of improvement, but to truly recover, she’d need a professional’s care–someone experienced enough to stay with her around the clock.
Ferdinand suggested his uncle, a renowned physician who had retired to the countryside to cultivate medicinal herbs. If Ferdinand reached out, his uncle would surely help.
Since Ferdinand vouched for him, Briony had no reservations. “You handle it. I’m fine with whatever you arrange.”
“But if my uncle is going to treat her, she’ll have to go out to the countryside for a while,” Ferdinand explained.
The thought caught Briony off guard. “I’m worried she might not adjust to being away from home.”
“That’s why I’ll have my uncle come here first, let him spend a few days getting to know Mrs. Hudson. Once she’s comfortable, then they can head out to the country together. How does that sound?”
Through the glass door, Briony watched her mother and daughter, side by side on the couch, engrossed in cartoons.
After a moment, she pressed her lips together and drew a steadying breath. “All right. Let’s do
it.”
…
Later, Julia grew drowsy and started mumbling for “Bryn.”
Briony helped her to the bedroom.
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Chapter 31
“Bryn stays,” Julia insisted, her words slurred but her meaning clear.
Briony lay down beside her, taking her hand. “I’m here, Mom. I’ll stay with you.”
Julia closed her eyes, holding tight to Briony’s hand, and fell asleep peacefully.
Briony waited until her mother’s breathing deepened, then gently slipped her hand free and sat up. The movement must have startled Julia, because suddenly she bolted upright, crying out-
“Traitor! Liar-!”
Her wide eyes stared at the ceiling, but in her mind, she was seeing Rosita’s false, smiling face.
Her pupils trembled with terror as memories from that awful day at the law office flashed through her mind.
“Why? God, why? Please–please, spare my Bryn…”
“Mom?” Briony’s heart leaped at the sudden outburst.
Julia’s anguished cries filled the room as she screamed about fate’s injustice, pounding her fists against her own head.
“Mom, stop! Please!” Briony grabbed her hands and tried to stop her, shouting to bring her back to reality.
But Julia was too far gone–Briony couldn’t restrain her alone.
The door burst open. Ferdinand and Gina rushed in.
“Hold her down, quick!” Ferdinand barked, already prepping his medical kit, lighting the alcohol lamp.
Gina and Briony pinned Julia down as Ferdinand began acupuncture.
After a few needles, Julia slowly calmed. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the ceiling.
“Lauren Lynn stole my husband, destroyed my family–why? Why does her daughter have to take from mine, too…”
“What did my Bryn ever do? Why, why…”
“It’s my fault–I couldn’t fight Lauren. I failed my Bryn… She’d have been better off without me…”
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