The low feminine voice faded, accompanied by faint sobs. Astrid felt warm, damp moisture against her cheek as her delicate, near-transparent eyelashes trembled from Charlotte's breath.
"No matter what happened before, no matter what I thought, it's the truth…" Charlotte closed her eyes, her lips parting slightly.
She hadn't managed to properly raise Astrid. Facing the girl's cold shoulders and rejection, she failed to act as a true mother should, accepting all of Astrid's negative emotions.
She hadn't firmly disciplined her when she did wrong. She hadn't spent enough time with her to help this young soul resist the corruption of money, power, and desire.
Most importantly, because of Astrid's millions of rebel acts, she chose to respond with the same cold treatment toward this once-good child, though gentler than Astrid's outright refusal to meet.
