Reborn In Flames: The Heiress' Revenge Novel by Amos House

It took a moment for the reality of the situation to sink in for Julia. She stared at Anne, her eyes wide with shock. “Anne, why did you hit me?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know why.” Anne retorted, her voice sharp with anger.

“Is it because I questioned Cassie Julia’s voice wavered, thick with emotion. “Am I not even allowed to have doubts about her? I didn’t tell anyone else. I only told you. Is that a crime? Do you want me to just keep quiet?”

“Enough!” Anne’s voice cut through the air, her patience clearly wearing thin. “Julia, do you really think we adults are that

Julia’s tears flowed freely down her cheeks. “I don’t understand what you’re getting at

Anne inhaled deeply, trying to maintain her composure. “Didn’t you mention a classmate called you last time, saying Cassie sent someone to assault you? What’s this classmate’s name? What’s their number? Write it down.”

Julia hesitated, then shook her head. “He genuinely cares about me. I can’t betray him.”

“Is it that you don’t want to betray him, or is it possible this person doesn’t even exist?” Anne questioned, her tone icy. “Tve already checked your call log. On the night in question, at the time you claimed, there were no incoming calls for you. You made that up.

Julia was taken aback. She had never anticipated that Anne would be so quick to suspect her, even checking her call log

A wave of panic washed over her, but then she was relieved as she remembered the separate phone number she used to contact Simon. If Anne delved into her call history and saw the frequency of her conversations with Simon, it would expose her secret

“Did you dress Cassie in those unflattering, old-fashioned clothes, apply that bizarre makeup, and attempt to sow discord. between us? Was all of that your doing?” Anne inquired, her tone razor-sharp and pointed.

“Anne.” Julia understood Anne all too well. Once she started to harbor doubts, the more Julia denied them, the deeper Anne would investigate. Julia was aware that under such relentless examination, her facade would crumble, revealing more scandalous secrets that could incite even greater fury within the Murphy family.

So, she simply admitted it, tears welling up in her eyes. “I was just so envious of Cassie. She’s been surrounded by love since the day she was born. Her mom is a renowned actress, her dad a prominent businessman, and her grandpa a legendary figure in the industry. But what about me? My mom was wonderful, but she was timid and frail. My dad was a gambler who left before I had any memories of him,”

Julia’s s**bs wracked her body, her expression one of raw vulnerability. “I never meant to hurt her. I just.. I just didn’t want her to outshine me so completely, making me feel like I was nothing more than a shadow next to her brilliance,” she confessed, her voice trembling with emotion.

Clutching Anne’s hand with a grip born of desperation, she implored, “Anne, I give you my word won’t let this happen. again. Please, find it in your heart to forgive me this once.”

Anne’s face got gentle when Julia brought up her mom. She let out a sigh, sounding a bit tired, Julia, you’ve seen how Cassie’s been acting different lately, right?”

Julia had noticed for sure. She nodded, her voice shaky with feelings. “That’s why I got so upset. I thought Cassie was trying to get back at me.”

“You’ll be eighteen soon, right after the SATs. Didn’t you say you wanted to go to college somewhere abroad? Take some time and think about it. Choose a college you’d like to go to, and I’ll help you make it happen,” Anne said after a quiet moment

Julia’s cries stopped all of a sudden. She stared at Anne, surprised. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“It’s for your own good. I don’t know if you’re keeping more secrets from me, but we can tell Cassie is mad. We don’t know what she might do next,” Anne answered.

“Since you know she wants to hurt me, then stop her,” Julia shot back, her voice getting louder and more urgent.

She really didn’t want to go to some other country. Who could tell what kind of crazy stuff Cassie might do while I’m away? she thought.

Julia, you made a mistake. If she wants to hurt you, you’ve got two choices: run away or just take it,” Anne said seriously. “Cassie is my kid, and it’s my job to look out for her. I’m only offering you a chance to study overseas because of your mom. Don’t push it.”

The words “Don’t push it hit Julia like a knife to her heart. Anne’s words kept ringing in her ears. It had been a long time, and Anne had been so nice to her and so tough on Cassie that she forgot who really mattered most in Anne’s life.

“I get it,” Julia said softly after a long pause. She wiped away her tears and got up-“You can give the list to Grandpa. I’ll tell him I was wrong and I won’t do it again.” Julia told Anne.

Anne’s eyes were as dark as storm clouds. “Think hard about going to school in another country. I’ll try my best to get you into any school you pick”

“Okay. Thanks, Anne, Julia said.

Then Anne left the room.

Julia stayed rooted to the spot, her hands slowly clenching into fists. She was convinced Anne’s talk about studying abroad was just a cover to push her out of the Murphy family. And to bring up her own mom-what a low blow! Recalling L****s caution and the sting of Anne’s slap, Julia was determined not to let them have their way.

Because Cassie was hurt, she stayed home from school the next day. She slept in, waking up only when the sun was shining bright outside.

After a good stretch, she felt a soreness in her back from the night before, which jolted her fully awake. Moving slowly, she changed her clothes and left her room. But as she headed downstairs, she ran into someone.

“Sorry!” Before Cassie could even react, the other person was already reaching out to help and saying sorry.

The sound of that voice filled her with dread. She quickly stepped back, putting some space between them for safety.

Simon was left standing there, his hand still in mid-air, looking a bit awkward.

“It’s okay,” Cassie said, trying to sound calm.

This was the first time since her rebirth that she’d been alone with Simon. All the old feelings of affection were gone, replaced by a sudden rush of fear from that encounter.

“Were you scared last night?” Simon asked softly, his eyes showing he really cared.

Cassie’s face turned cold as ice. “No. Why aren’t you with Julia? What are you doing here by my door?”

“I’m heading back to the estate with Ms. Julia Cortez and wanted to say goodbye before I go,” Simon said with a kind smile,

Simon was confident in his charm, thinking about all the women who’d been won over by it. He was sure Cassie would be no exception. He thought that even if she didn’t fall under his spell right away, she’d still have a positive view of him. And once that good first impression was made, he believed the rest would fall into place effortlessly.