She had never been given the chance to truly know her mother, and just as cruelly, she had been denied the time to understand her father as well. The truth of her origins did not bring comfort; it weighed on her chest instead, and this even reminded her of the memory she could never forget.
And that is, she had witnessed her mother's brutal death with her own eyes, had stood there powerless, unable to do anything but watch. The guilt gnawed at her relentlessly.
That woman, her mother, had gone to unimaginable lengths, had sacrificed everything to ensure Ashley would live long enough to one day return to her rightful family, only to give up her life in the end for that very purpose.
The thought made Ashley's chest tighten, her vision threatening to blur with unshed tears. But she forced them back, biting the inside of her cheek until the sharp sting grounded her.
