The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 38

It was 8:00 PM by the time Annelise and Harriet's car pulled into the Lehman Estate.

The main house was fully illuminated, casting a bright glare over the rain-slicked courtyard.

The moment Annelise stepped through the door, she was hit by a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

Lizzie sat dead center on the living room sofa, gripping her porcelain teacup. Her face was darker than the night sky outside.

Barnum sat beside her, silently flipping through a financial newspaper.

The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Clarissa was kneeling by Lizzie's feet, dressed in a cozy, cream-colored knit dress, gently massaging her legs. She wore a look of tender, dutiful concern.

Upon seeing Annelise, Clarissa immediately stood up and hurried over, grabbing Annelise's hand.

"Anne, you're finally back!" Her tone was laced with perfectly measured reproach and worry. "Where have you been? Your phone was off, and Lizzie was worried sick."

Annelise ignored her. She walked straight over to Lizzie, lowering her head in deep submission.

"Mrs. Lehman, I'm so sorry. I'm back."

Her voice was raspy, laced with exhaustion.

"The reunion ran late, and my phone died. I should have called ahead to let you know. It's my fault."

Lizzie scoffed coldly, slamming her teacup down onto the coffee table with a sharp clatter.

"Forgot? It seems to me you've completely forgotten about your mother-in-law and this entire family!"

"Running off for the whole day without a word? You just had surgery—do you care about your health at all? If something happened to you, how would the Lehman family explain it to the press?"

Her scolding was sharp and vicious.

Annelise kept her eyes fixed on the floor, not saying a word, letting the insults rain down on her like hail.

"Lizzie, please don't be angry," Clarissa quickly intervened, placing a soothing hand on Lizzie's shoulder.

"Anne hasn't seen her friends in ages, she was just happy and lost track of time. She's still recovering, so please go easy on her. It's not worth upsetting yourself over."

As she spoke, Clarissa shot Annelise a look that practically screamed, *See? Look at me sticking up for you.*

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