Chapter 11 - CORINNE'S CONFESSIONCorinne came to their house two nights later.
She stood on the porch for almost a minute before knocking.
Maren opened the door.
Corinne looked different.
No makeup.
No confidence.
Just exhaustion.
“Can I talk to Graham?”
Maren stepped aside.
Graham entered the hallway.
Corinne looked at him.
“I was jealous.”
He said nothing.
“I was jealous of you.”
Graham frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Mom needed you.”
The answer stunned him.
Corinne explained.
Their mother had always been obsessed with Graham.
Not because she loved him more.
Because she feared him.
And Corinne had spent her childhood watching Helena's attention revolve around her son.
Even hatred was attention.
Corinne had mistaken it for love.
“So when you married Maren…” Corinne whispered, “I thought I was losing Mom too.”
Graham stared at her.
“You humiliated my wife because you were afraid of losing Mom?”
Corinne nodded.
“I know how awful that sounds.”
“It sounds worse than awful.”
“I know.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I hated Maren because she was everything I wasn't.”
Maren stepped into the room.
Corinne looked at her.
“I’m sorry.”
Maren didn't immediately answer.
Then she said:
“I accept your apology.”
Corinne cried.
“But that doesn't mean things go back to normal.”
“I know.”
For the first time, Corinne seemed to understand what accountability meant.
Not punishment.
May you like
Not humiliation.
Just consequences.
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