"Josephine, Josephine, calm down. Don't make yourself sick over this."
"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down?" Mrs. Donovan lay on the soft sofa, one hand clutching her chest. Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with tears, a truly pitiable sight.
Mr. Donovan sat beside her, like an ant on a hot pan. He was furious about what had happened to his youngest daughter, but he was also busy rubbing his wife's back to soothe her, afraid she would get so angry she'd make herself sick.
Behind them, the vast living room was a complete mess, littered with things Mrs. Donovan had smashed in a fit of rage after learning the whole story.
"I should have known. I should have realized it sooner. Back when Serena first came home, I took her out shopping and we ran into Eloise. She mentioned that if things had followed the original path, she would have been abused by Holly Wagner's parents..."
