When Joanna arrived at the orphanage, the front gate hung wide open. The yard was destroyed—furniture overturned, walls spray-painted, glass shattered across the ground.
The children were huddled in the corner. When they saw her, they rose to their feet one by one.
Dick Driscoll was the first to charge at her. He shoved her hard with both hands.
Joanna stumbled back two steps. The wounds on her back slammed against the wall, and she sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth.
"You've got some nerve showing up here!"
The other children surged forward, surrounding her.
"You killed Director Mom! Why didn't you go donate blood last night? Why?!"
Fists rained down on her. Joanna didn't dodge. She only lowered her head and murmured.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
"Sorry doesn't fix anything!" Dick screamed, eyes rimmed red.
"Director Mom won't wake up! We don't have a mom anymore!"
"Get out! Get out right now! We don't want to see you!"
Joanna knelt there, looking at the hatred in those children's eyes, and felt her heart shred itself apart.
They shoved her out of the orphanage, pushing and kicking until she lay on the ground outside, battered and bleeding. A white Porsche was parked right in front of her.
The door opened, and Lola stepped out.
She wore a pale coat, her makeup flawless, a smile curving her lips.
"So? How does it feel, being hated by the very children you've always loved and protected?"
"All I did was let them know what kind of person you really are." Lola tilted her head. "Don't tell me you can't handle it already?"
Joanna pushed herself to her feet and fixed her gaze on the woman before her.
"What do you want?"
Lola narrowed her eyes, stepped closer, and lowered her voice.
"If you get on your knees right now and kowtow to me, I might convince Paddy to withdraw the complaint and let the orphanage keep its land."
"What do you say? If you refuse, these children will be taken away tonight."
Joanna clenched her jaw and slowly sank to her knees.
Her kneecaps hit the ground with a dull thud.
Joanna bent forward, pressing her forehead to the earth.
She had barely completed one when Lola frowned.
"Too slow."
She flicked a glance at the bodyguard beside her.
The bodyguard stepped forward, seized the back of Joanna's head, and slammed it into the ground.
Crack.
Her forehead struck concrete. Blood welled up instantly.
He held her down, smashing her head against the ground again and again, blood spattering with each impact.
Ten times. When it was over, Joanna lay flat on the ground, a gash split open across her forehead, blood smeared across her entire face.
She struggled to lift her head.
"Now... are you satisfied?"
Lola glanced down at the blood on the toe of her shoe, wiped it off with a tissue, and tossed it onto Joanna's face.
Just then, Lola's phone rang.
Her eyes lit up. She answered on speaker.
"Paddy?"
"Hey, babe." Paddy's voice came through, warm and gentle. "Are you free right now? Let's go pick out a wedding dress."
Lola smiled, looking down at Joanna sprawled on the ground.
"I'm free. I'll be right there."
She tucked the phone away and crouched down, meeting Joanna's eyes at her level.
"Did you hear that?" Her voice was soft, almost conversational. "In three days, we're getting married. Someone like you, squatting in my place, clinging to my man for all these years. It's made me sick."
"Now it's time for you to disappear for good."
A deafening boom erupted from somewhere behind them.
Joanna whipped her head around. The orphanage was engulfed in flames, fire clawing at the sky.
She scrambled to her feet and staggered toward the blaze.
Lola watched her disappear into the inferno, her lips slowly curling upward. Then she turned and climbed back into the car.
Inside the burning building, the smoke was so thick Joanna couldn't keep her eyes open.
She kicked open door after door, shoving children toward the exit.
In the very last room, she found Mandy, curled up in the corner.
Joanna rushed over and scooped her up. A burning beam crashed down onto her back. She grunted and dropped to her knees but held the child tight against her chest, shielding her with her own body.
Gritting through the pain, she crawled toward the exit, inch by inch.
"I'm getting you out of here..."
Mandy sobbed against her neck, her small voice barely a whisper.
"Joanna, I know you're not a bad person... You've always been like a mom to me..."
Joanna's eyes burned with tears. She held the child close and dragged herself out of the fire.
The moment she collapsed on the ground outside, her phone rang.
"Ms. Winfield. All shares and assets under your name have been fully transferred. You are now the company's largest shareholder."
The tension that had been holding Joanna together finally released. She dialed another number.
"Get me the best legal team in the country."
"Lola set fire to the orphanage, and I'm going to personally send her to prison!"
