From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 191

**TITLE: Dreams Folding Into Broken Time**
**Chapter 191**

Before she dies…

My hands quivered uncontrollably, nearly causing the envelope to slip from my grasp. The rhythmic thumping of my heart echoed in my ears, drowning out all other sounds.

I regarded the envelope with a mixture of dread and disbelief, as if it were a ticking time bomb, ready to explode. Perhaps it was, in its own way. Everything I had ever known, every fragment of my existence, was encapsulated within those folded sheets of paper.

A torrent of questions surged through my mind, each one more suffocating than the last.

How long had she been harboring this secret?

Was this the reason behind the weariness etched on her face when she stood at the door after Emily returned?

Had my tumultuous life, filled with chaos, mistakes, and relentless storms, pulled her down into the depths of despair? Was I, without even realizing it, causing my own mother’s suffering and slowly extinguishing her spirit?

I pressed the envelope tightly against my chest, as if trying to absorb its weight, but deep down, I knew I was far from prepared for what lay within. Yet, the reality of my unpreparedness didn’t halt my fingers from breaking the wax seal, an act that felt both inevitable and terrifying.

Her handwriting greeted me like an old friend, each elegant stroke a familiar echo of countless grocery lists and birthday cards I had seen over the years. My throat constricted painfully as I began to read her words.

My Darling, Savannah…

How do I even begin to convey my deepest apologies for being the mother you never deserved? I find myself at a loss for words to justify my actions and the choices I’ve made throughout the years. All I ask is that you find a place in your heart to forgive me. Perhaps when I am finally gone…

Thirty years ago, I made a decision that I will never regret, for that decision brought you into my life. So, in a way, it wasn’t a mistake at all.

I can’t say if I’ll ever have the chance to see you again; I know I don’t deserve that privilege. That’s why I must share this with you. Julius isn’t your father. I broke the vows I made to my husband, and you are the result of my betrayal. I love you—God knows I do, my sweet girl—but I wronged Julius. For that, I have spent my life trying to atone, hoping he could forgive me for inflicting such pain upon him.

When I pass, the burden of my guilt will finally be laid to rest with me. There is only so much I can confess in this letter, Savannah. If it’s not too much to ask, I would cherish the chance to see you one last time. Just before I go. But I will completely understand if you never wish to look upon my face again.

I wanted to scream at her, to demand answers. How could she do this to me? How could she keep such a monumental secret hidden throughout my entire life? How could she allow me to live a lie, unaware of the truth that lay just beneath the surface?

Yet, amidst the turmoil of anger and betrayal, a part of me yearned to reach out to her. I wanted to grasp her hand in that sterile hospital room, pleading with her not to leave me. Because despite her flaws, her distance, and the pain she had caused, she was still my mother. My only mother.

Dean crouched in front of me, his movements slow and cautious, as if I were fragile glass that might shatter at any moment. “Savannah?” His voice was soft, tinged with uncertainty, as though he feared that any sudden movement might break me further.

I wiped my tear-streaked face with trembling hands, attempting to steady my breath amidst the storm of sobs. When I finally spoke, my voice emerged hoarse and raw, as if I had been screaming for hours. “You’ll take me back to New Hope tomorrow.” I forced myself to meet his gaze, even through the haze of tears clouding my vision.

“I need to see my mother.”

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was no wavering in my voice. Only a fierce determination.

Because no matter how shattered I felt, how deeply I was wounded, how furious I was—if I didn’t seize this moment, if I didn’t go now, I would carry the weight of regret with me for the rest of my life.