Victoria could feel the sentences fall back on her like sharp rocks. She knew Lana was right, even though she didn’t blame her directly. It was a fact that they hadn’t been there for Hayden to support him when he needed them. Although she tried to do the little that she could, all the time she carried inside the oppressed guilt that she was actually the one causing the pain. Lurking remorse tied their hands. If she had tried to comfort him with words, she should have told him the truth, and she wasn’t capable of that. Hayden was alone. All alone.
Victoria’s throat was tight with helpless pain. With one hand, she groped the collar of her blouse and pulled it down as if she was choking. She began to walk up and down restlessly.
‘We have sacrificed Hayden, Miss Bell. That’s the truth,’ she
