"It was because you refused Emily's cry for help that she ended up like this..."
"That night, it was true that I didn't think it through, but ultimately, wasn't it some people's vanity that pushed their own daughter into the wolves' den? Otherwise, why did she have to run through the rain to find Edward Stephens at my downtown villa when you were clearly at home? Wasn't it because her own mother was untrustworthy that she had to travel all that way and brave the rain to seek help from someone else? Auntie Perry, if you can't face it yourself, that's one thing, but shifting the blame onto others doesn't mean you can pretend nothing happened and feel at ease, does it?"
The hall was silent, and no one made a sound.
Abigail Perry seemed frozen, her gaze fixed. It took her a long while before she slowly shook her head and whispered one word, "No..."
