Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 472

"You're twisting the truth!" Terrence's cane slammed against the floor with a hollow, booming thud. "You know exactly how this child was conceived!

Quentin knew nothing about it, and he certainly didn't consent! This isn't a normal pregnancy—this is theft!"

"Theft?" Penelope let out a ghastly laugh, tears streaming down her face.

But the corners of her mouth stretched into a manic, unhinged smile. "Yes, I stole it. But who did I do it for? I did it for this family!

Wasn't the marriage alliance with the Prescotts orchestrated by all of you?

When Quentin broke our engagement for that damaged goods, Madeline, he made our family the laughingstock of Empire City! You all stand here calling me crazy, but which one of you stepped up to get justice for me?"

She pointed a trembling finger at Xavier. "Dad, did you?"

She whipped her hand toward Julian. "Julian, did you?"

Finally, she aimed it at Jasper. "Jasper, did you?"

"When I was publicly humiliated and mocked by everyone because of that broken engagement, who cared about how I felt?"

Silence answered her.

The only sounds left in the main hall were Penelope's ragged breaths and Cora's muffled weeping.

Penelope aggressively swiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. Her voice dropped to a terrifying, dead calm that was far more unnerving than her screaming.

"Since you wouldn't get justice for me, I got it myself. I used my own methods to give Quentin a child. Tell me, what did I do wrong? What can Madeline give him? A barren womb! I can give him a child, his own flesh and blood! What right do any of you have to call my baby an abomination?"

Terrence's face shifted from ashen to a sickly gray. He was shaking from head to toe.

"I truly love him!" Penelope's voice spiked again, tearing at her vocal cords.

"I've loved him since the day you first mentioned the engagement when we were kids! I've dreamed of marrying him my entire life!

You all think this is just a spoiled princess throwing a tantrum over a toy she can't have? No! I love him so much I threw away my pride, I let the whole world curse my name, I loved him enough to—"

Her words choked off in her throat.

Because as she looked around, she saw the exact same expression on every single face—pity, disgust, and terror. There wasn't an ounce of understanding.

Penelope stood frozen for a long moment. Then, she suddenly spun around and lunged toward the antique display shelf in the corner of the room.