The Year I Was the Other Woman To Myself novel Chapter 359

“The person who should feel the most guilt, the one most responsible for Lorraine’s death, is you!” Theodore roared.

Mr. Johnson sat up, startled. “Theo, what’s gotten into you?”

“That day, Mom asked you to watch Lorraine. But you were too busy holding court with your friends. When Lorraine asked you to take her outside to play, you ignored her. You pushed her out of your study. That’s why she went outside alone. And then…”

The words caught in Theodore’s throat, too painful to speak.

Mr. Johnson frowned, clearly wanting to avoid the topic. “It was twenty years ago. Let it go.”

“But Mom can’t let it go. I can’t let it go. Why should you be the only one who gets to move on?”

“What do you want from me?”

“Do you have any idea what Mom has been through all these years?”

“She’s the one who won’t let herself heal. You can’t blame me for that.”

“Are you even a man? You left your wife and children in a cage and escaped all by yourself!”

“That cage is one you built for yourselves. I just opened my own.”

“You’re sitting here relaxing, listening to music. Do you even know what happened today?” Theodore demanded.

Mr. Johnson simply closed his eyes. “Whatever happens with the Stapleton family has nothing to do with me.”

Enraged, Theodore gripped the arms of the rocking chair. Penelope, fearing he might do something drastic, rushed to his side. “Theodore, calm down.”

But he was beyond reasoning, the tension he’d been holding for so long finally about to snap.

“I’ll ask you just one thing. After Lorraine died, did you ever, for even a moment, feel any guilt?”

Mr. Johnson turned his head away, refusing to answer.

Theodore stared at him for a long, silent moment, then let out a bitter laugh.

“Of course you didn’t. You’re too much of a coward to even blame yourself.”

With a final, contemptuous snort, Theodore turned and stormed out of the house.

Penelope watched him go but didn’t follow. Instead, she sat down on the steps next to Mr. Johnson.

“I know you must be hurting right now.”

“You’ll understand one day.”

“Am I caught in some kind of trap you set?”

“I’m sorry.”

Another apology. A flash of anger went through Penelope. “It would be easy enough for me to escape your trap. All I have to do is divorce Theodore right now.”

“But you can’t bear to, can you?”

“You old fox.”

Mr. Johnson chuckled softly. “Whatever my motives were, I did give you Theodore. Doesn’t that count as a great accomplishment?”

Penelope glared at him. “Of course it does.”

The next day after work, Penelope got a call from Norton.

“Penelope, do you remember the promise you made me?”