Emma leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Maelis.
"Did he kill himself, or did he run away?"
"No," Maelis whispered, staring at the floor. "He died in a car accident. He'd been drinking before he got behind the wheel."
She drew in a slow breath before continuing.
"After the funeral,I found out I was pregnant again. When I got checked, I learned I was already two months pregnant. I was devastated. Even though the baby was Lincoln's, they still rejected us.
Lincoln's family threw Joel and me out of the house. They called us bastards and told us we didn't belong there. I wanted to fight back, but they were too powerful. I didn't stand a chance."
She rubbed her palms together.
