CHAPTER SIXTEEN – CONFRONTING THE PAST

The door to the parlor swung open, revealing her younger brother, Henry. He stopped short at the sight of his sister, red-faced and fuming. "Hey, who's on the phone?" he asked, concerned. "It's Johnny," Madison muttered, shoving the phone towards Henry. "Put it on speaker," Henry said, his voice calm but firm. Madison, still seething, obeyed. On the other end, Johnny continued his tirade, hurling accusations and insults. "You're unbelievable, Madison! You move on that fast? You were supposed to marry me!" Henry, ever the mediator, interjected calmly. "Johnny, listen carefully. This clearly isn't the time for this conversation. Let's cool down and talk later." Johnny, however, was far from cool. He continued his ranting until Henry, with surprising ferocity, interrupted him. "Listen, Johnny," Henry said, his voice laced with steel. "If you care about my sister at all, you'll respect her wishes and end this call before you say something you'll regret." With that, Henry hung up.