Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law Chapter 324: Fear And Guilt

The door opened, and Richard and Marianne Thomas stepped inside.

lody straightened instinctively, the half opened breakfast tray resting forgotten on her lap. Her heart thudded painfully, a drumbeat of dread and guilt. She forced her shoulders to relax, pushing a tentative smile to her lips as her eyes flicked between the couple.

Adam, now standing beside her, gave a polite, almost formal nod in their direction. "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas,this is your daughter. lanie. This should be your official eting, I guess."

lody’s breath hitched. That na felt foreign to her but she had no choice. She looked up at them and said softly, "Mama... Papa..." Even though that is what she had called them all her life, seeing them now, she knew she could not easily call them that.

She watched their faces closely. It felt strange to say those words with such tentative distance.

She had to pretend to be unsure of what to call them.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to wonder if what she said was right or wrong. Because in the next minute, Richard Thomas stepped forward, his face lit with emotion. There was a tremble in his voice as he reached out to her.

"Oh, my sweet girl..." he whispered, pulling her into a hug before she could even fully rise from the bed. "I thought we’d lost you forever. I had given up hope-every lead we chased led to nothing... and then suddenly, here you are."

He pulled her close, his embrace solid and trembling all at once. lody hugged him back, arms wrapping around his shoulders as guilt battered in her chest.

He didn’t know that the daughter he wanted to hug was already taken from him even before she could return here.

He had no idea that the daughter he had mourned all these years, lanie might really never return. Or rather, now that he had found ’lanie’, he would have to forever mourn losing lody.

Her jaw clenched. She wanted to cry. Not out of relief or joy, but from the sharp, rising ache of deception. She had spent her entire life in this man’s house, eaten at his table, called him ’Papa’ without hesitation. And now she had to act like a stranger rediscovering that bond.

After a long mont, Richard finally pulled back, brushing his thumb beneath his eye as if embarrassed by his tears. "Look at you," he said with a watery laugh, scanning her face like he couldn’t believe it was real. "Still got that sa little frown when you’re trying not to cry." He smiled gently. "You look just like your mother."

lody gave a small, uncertain nod, not trusting herself to speak. Her throat had tightened to the point of pain.

Richard turned, looking over his shoulder. "Marianne?" he said, his voice still thick. "Aren’t you going to co say sothing? She’s right here..."

lody tensed.

Marianne Thomas hadn’t moved from her spot near the door. She stood there still and composed, eyes trained on lody, a frown on her face.

It was the look her mother always wore when she was thinking too much.

lody’s lips parted, the words forming at the back of her throat. She wanted to call out to her and bridge that distance before it beca more than physical and she beca suspicious but as the word "Mama" hovered on her tongue, a mory ca crashing in.

She rembered her mother venting previously, "She insists on calling Mrs. Thomas. So formal. And I know she does it because she prefers to keep her distance. I want to say sothing, tell her that I am her mother and her calling formally —it stings sotis. Now that she knows the truth, I hope she will call Mama like you, lody."

Could it be... Her lips trembled. Her eyes flicked toward Adam briefly, but he offered no help as his face was unreadable. So, she took a deep breath and called out softly, hoping she was not making a mistake, "Mrs. Thomas."

Marianne jolted visibly.

For a heartbeat, she just blinked. Then her expression crumbled into sothing warr and she hurried forward, hands reaching before she even finished crossing the space between them.

"You little girl," she scolded, her voice cracking. "Why are you still calling Mrs. Thomas? Call Mama. Co on. Do it fast. Didn’t you just call this old man here, Papa?"

lody stared at her, caught off guard-but only for a mont. Relief swept over her like a crashing wave. She believed it. She had actually fooled her mother!

"Mama," she whispered, almost too quickly.

And then she was pulled into her mother’s arms.

"Oh, my baby," Marianne said, patting her back with shaking hands. "You’re back. You’re really here. I can’t tell you how glad I am. I didn’t let myself hope, not really. Not anymore. But here you are."

lody clutched her tightly, her cheek against her mother’s shoulder, and breathed through the tightening in her throat. The guilt was almost unbearable so she could only remond herself. Feeling guilt was better than suffering through Cadence’s over protectiveness and temper.

Then Marianne pulled back, cupping her face with eyes shining with tears. "But why... why did it have to be like this? Why were we punished like this?" Her voice cracked. "We found one daughter, but lost another. What kind of cruel trade is that?"

lody blinked fast. She had no answer. Her jaw tightened.

"I’m sure we’ll find her," she said quickly. "lody... she’ll co back. Don’t worry. She’ll be okay."

Marianne smiled faintly and nodded, though her eyes were clouded with sorrow. "Thank you," she murmured, brushing her thumb along lody’s cheek as if trying to morise her face. "You always had such kind eyes. Even as a baby. Always the softer one."

lody didn’t know whether to feel gratified or ashad.

Then Marianne gently pulled back, and her tone shifted. "Now eat," she said, patting her shoulder lightly. "You’re still recovering. I’m sorry we barged in like this."

lody shook her head. "It’s okay."

Richard ca closer again, placing a hand gently on her blanket. "We’ll let you eat in peace, sweetheart. We just couldn’t wait any longer."

Marianne nodded and gave one last look—warm, almost maternal pride flickering in her gaze. "We’ll talk later, alright? You rest."

And with that, they turned toward the door.

lody watched them go, the warmth of their touch still lingering on her skin- and the weight of her lies pressed even heavier on her chest. Dare she tell them that she was lody?