Chapter 5 Madelyn Kneeling Down
The scene after hanging up the phone was bizarre.
The expressions on Jack and Anna’s faces, as well as Peter’s, were all those of extreme embarrassment.
That was mainly because they had just falsely accused Jane.
After careful consideration, they realized that there were indeed many loopholes in Richard’s words. They only found a small amount of evidence. Still, they used it to fabricate an accusation that Jane was intentionally spreading rumors to coerce the Fowler family into recognizing her as the true heiress.
It was still their underlying mistrust of Jane and too much favoring of Madelyn that had caused the whole fuss.
Every time they saw Madelyn sad and upset, they immediately lost their cool.
“Janie, I’m really sorry. Daddy and they lost their cool when they realized I was too upset. This is all my fault. Only if I hadn’t joined this family!” Madelyn sobbed.
She broke the silence and the awkwardness when she walked over to Jane, tears in her eyes, and prepared to kneel before her.
“Maddie, what are you doing?” Peter, who was the closest to them, quickly yelled as he pulled Madelyn up. Madelyn, however, had a firm resolve and knelt, saying, “Peter, I have to do this. This is my fault, and I won’t get up if Jannie doesn’t forgive us!”
Madelyn dropped to her knees on the ground with a dull thud.
Tears kept falling from her cheeks.
“Maddie, what are you doing? Get up quickly!” Jack yelled.
Jack and Anna quickly went to help Madelyn, who had collapsed on the ground.
They were profoundly moved by Madelyn’s efforts to be a good daughter.
At that moment, any remaining doubts about Madelyn in their hearts vanished without a trace.
They knew that it was impossible for such a kind, selfless person who always thought of the Fowler family to devise such a terrible scheme.
Thus, they firmly believed that it must be someone else.
“Jane, we owe you an apology. Don’t worry. I will find out who is behind this and make them pay for what they have done. I can’t believe they were trying to hurt my family!” Jack said, furious at the thought of someone trying to sow discord in his family.
“Anyone who dares to tarnish the Fowler family’s reputation will have me to deal with,” he added, gritting his teeth. This kind of scheming was something that Jack could not tolerate.
Above all else, Jack prioritized maintaining peace in his family.
“Owing me an apology?” Jane laughed as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.
She began crying from laughing so hard that she couldn’t hold her tears, and her belly hurt.
Jack’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he asked, “Why are you laughing?”
Jane just kept laughing and laughing, for what Jack said was the greatest joke she had ever heard.
Instead of defending his biological daughter, Jack had sided with the foster child.
He had led his entire family to stand against Jane, all because he was afraid she would come back and take away everything that belonged to Madelyn.
It caused Jack to develop prejudice, and he began making false accusations against Jane about almost
everything.
From a father like that, Jane certainly didn’t anticipate an apology.
The old Jane would have foolishly believed in the so–called family love, but the new Jane was not a fool blinded by familial ties.
“Mr. Fowler, I truly do not believe you intend to apologize to me in any way. Also, you’re too old and blind to even think of finding the mastermind behind all this.” Jane spoke these cruel words without a hint of
remorse.
Instead, she felt a great sense of release because she was finally letting out pent–up emotions she had been suppressing.
Jane recalled how she had taken a bullet for Jack, only to be abandoned in the hospital to fend for herself while she struggled to stay alive after the incident. Then, she remembered the many years this family had neglected her.
In addition, she recalled the final kick that had sent her tumbling down as the fire continued to rage.
As a result of the accumulation of all of these grudges and resentments, Jane felt a sense of vengeful satisfaction.
It wasn’t enough, however.
Nobody could have foreseen that Jane would express herself in such a manner.
Jane’s actions shocked everyone, including Peter, who questioned whether she’d gone completely insane. Jane had lost all of her previous meekness and timidity, and she went as far as making fun of Jack’s declining eyesight.
Jack growled, “What did you say? I’m your father! How dare you talk to me like that!
“I admit I just made a mistake, but I said I’d apologize to you. What makes you think you can give me that attitude?”
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