No Way Back

Chapter 20

Chapter 20 I Don’t Deserve To Be A Fowler

Diane’s voice was soft as she smiled brightly at Anna and tugged her arm lightly.

“Sure…”

Anna replied reluctantly.

Her face was lined with weariness.

“Come up, cheer up. I know you had an argument with your daughter. But it’s for the best, right?

“Your family has never cared for Jane. You already have Maddie. Now, her place in the Fowler family will be

secure.

“This is God’s will. Jane simply isn’t destined to be a part of the Fowler family. Don’t be too hard on yourself. After all, she’s alive. Besides, your family gave her a chance to come back. She was the one who rejected you.”

Diane said patiently.

Diane and Anna had been best friends for decades.

They had known each other in school.

Friendships like that were hard–won, and Diane treasured hers with Anna deeply.

Diane had married into the Croft family. Hugh’s uncle, the legendary Raymond Croft, was the head of the Croft family.

After her marriage, Diane remained close friends with Anna.

She often visited the Fowler family and spent time with Anna.

Diane had watched Madelyn grow up.

She loved Madelyn and was adamant about having Madelyn as her daughter–in–law.

Diane knew everything there was to know about the Fowler family.

She didn’t want a money grabber like Jane, who had come out of nowhere to tear her best friend’s relationship with Madelyn apart and turn the Fowler family upside down.

Diane had persuaded Anna not to recognize Jane as her daughter.

She had been missing for 19 years and had never received the education of an elite. Young women like her

were irredeemable.

She wasn’t worthy of being a member of the prestigious Fowler family.

The Fowler family had been doing fine until Jane appeared out of nowhere. The nobody ruined their lives.

Diane had seen it coming from a mile.

Fortunately, Jane had only spent two weeks with the Fowler family.

That was too little time to do too much damage.

In fact, she ended up doing her family a favor by disowning them.

“Diane, I know you have my interests at heart. But Jane is still the daughter I carried for nine months in my womb. She was taken from me when she was born and spent 19 years away from home. How can I pretend Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

she doesn’t exist now that I know she’s alive?

“Besides, we were the ones who wronged Jane without digging deeper. She got upset and disowned us. How can I just let that go?”

Anna grimaced.

She had no idea where Jane had gone after leaving the Fowler family.

There had been times when Anna considered sending Jane a text.

That had been when she realized something.

She did not have Jane’s WeChat contact information.

She didn’t even have her number.

Her heart had sunk then.

She stared at the countless texts in her My Loving Family WeChat group.

None of those texts were from Jane, her biological daughter.

Anna couldn’t help but think to herself.

Had she neglected her own biological daughter?

Would a decent mother do that to her own child?

It didn’t matter how much more Anna cared for Madelyn.

They may not be related by blood, but Anna raised Madelyn and grew to love her.

While Jane was her biological daughter and was tied to her by blood, she was like a stranger to her. They had spent only two weeks together.

The bond Anna shared with Jane could not compare to that she shared with Madelyn.

That didn’t mean that she didn’t feel guilty about it all.

“Listen to me and just let it go. Tonight, we’re going to have a feast and discuss the marriage between Maddie and my son.”

Diane couldn’t care less about Jane. She was an unpredictable element. The sooner she was out of the picture, the better. All she brought was trouble.

“But Diane, we agreed to a marriage between Jane and Layne. Maddie had turned down Layne multiple times because of this. Now that we know that Jane is alive, Maddie will never agree to marry Layne.”

“That’s why as their mothers, we have to step in. Jane has disowned the Fowler family. That means that Maddie doesn’t have to worry about her anymore. I watched Maddie grow up. She’s the best daughter–in–law I can ever hope for. You have to help me out here…”

Diane would never agree to the marriage if her son had to marry Jane.

It didn’t matter that the Fowler family were their family friends. Jane had never received the education of an elite. Diane would never let her marry into the Croft family. Jane would turn the entire Croft family upside down!

Anna froze in her tracks then.

There was a look of utter shock on her face.

“Jane? What are you doing here?”

At first, Anna thought that she must be seeing things.

Jane couldn’t possibly afford to dine at Cloudnine Restaurant.

Then, she took a second look and realized she hadn’t been mistaken.

“What?”

Diane seemed similarly stunned.

Hadn’t Jane disowned the Fowler family?

Money alone wouldn’t get you a table at Cloudnine Restaurant.

Diane, who had married into the Croft family, had to make a reservation two weeks in advance to secure a

table at the restaurant!

Without the Fowler family’s reputation, how could an ordinary person like Jane get a table at Cloudnine Restaurant?

Jane did not spare a single glance at Anna.

She pretended that she didn’t know the woman at all.

That upset Anna a little. “Unless my eyes are seeing things, you’re Jane. I’m your mother, Jane. Why are you ignoring me?”

“Mrs. Fowler, please mind your words

Jane said. “We have nothing to do with each other now. Don’t be too eager to call someone your daughter. I certainly don’t deserve to be a member of the Fowler family.”

“How could you say that? That’s enough, Jane. Must you hurt me with your words? I’m your mother!” “My mother?”

Jane burst into laughter.

What irony.

The look in her eyes was utterly chilly.

“I would rather have no mother than a mother like you, Mrs. Fowler.

“Save your love for Madelyn. I can’t possibly shoulder the weight of your maternal love.”

The commotion caught Hugh’s and Robert’s attention.

“Hey, Hugh. The woman you’re interested in is arguing with someone. Isn’t the other woman Jack Fowler’s wife? Isn’t that your aunt, Diane?”

Surprise flashed across Robert’s face.

What was going on?

Robert knew nothing about Jane.

However, he believed that Hugh was in the know.

This was his prey, after all. Hugh wouldn’t be who he was if he hadn’t investigated Jane thoroughly.

Hugh didn’t say a word. Instead, he threw a frosty look toward Jane.

A flicker of concern flashed across his eyes when they landed on the young woman.

His concern was genuine.

However, Hugh knew that Jane could handle the situation.

“Jane, you know that Maddie is your sister. Why can’t you be a good elder sister and give in to her?

“Do you think you can steal the love that Maddie deserves as our adoptive child because you have the blood of the Fowlers running in your veins? Do you want the whole family to focus all our love and attention on you? How selfish of you!”

Anna stared at Jane with a look of utter grief and heartache.

She never thought that the child of Jack and her would turn out to be such a vicious woman

Jane was a petty woman who couldn’t even stand the presence of her adoptive sister.

Jane stared back at Anna.

Her smile had fallen off her face.

Anna wanted her to give in to Madelyn.

The Fowlers must be blind. They must be utter fools.

Hadn’t they seen how much Jane had given in to Madelyn?

Worried about Madelyn’s fragile feelings, Jane had given in time and again until she had had nothing left to give.

If she backed down and gave in another time, she would fall over and into a bottomless abyss.

The Fowler family seemed blind to it all. They thought she hadn’t done enough.

They wanted Jane to fall. They wanted her to give everything to Madelyn. That was the only way they would be satisfied.

In fact, they wished that Jane hadn’t reappeared in their lives. They wished that she had died 19 years ago. Jane never thought that she could compete with Madelyn and have the Fowlers‘ total share of love and

attention.

All she wanted was a tiny slice of what Madelyn had. She would have been satisfied with mere crumbs That had been all she asked for.

It had been such a humble wish. What else did they want from her?

Jane had nearly gotten herself killed several times to protect the Fowlers.

She thought her efforts would move them.

All she got was a perfunctory thanks.

Her pathetic wish for crumbs had been a mere dream.

“That’s right. I’m selfish and beyond saving. I don’t deserve to be a part of the Fowler family. How I wish I

could bleed myself dry of my blood so that the blood of the Fowlers no longer ran in my veins. It disgusts me.

“Mrs. Fowler, now that you’ve seen my true colors, you should give up and forget about this daughter of yours. Go back to loving your precious Madelyn!”