New Life, New Beginning

Phoebe sat across from her mother, her mind reeling from everything she had just told her.

"I can't believe that Edward was not my father. I mean we've been together for twenty-seven years but he never once told me the truth."

Serena wiped the tears across her cheeks with a handkerchief Hector gave her. "I'm so sorry, Phoebe. I should have told you the truth before but you're so young and I don't want you to get hurt. I want you to have a complete family."

"Why did he try to kill you? I—I thought Edward loved you…"

Her mother took a deep breath, steadying herself. "He was abusive, Phoebe. We look perfect on the outside but on the inside we had a toxic relationship. He would hit me and yell at me over the slightest things. I stayed with him for as long as I could because he says he loves me but I think he doesn't. He was just afraid to be alone. When he realized I could never love that's when he decided I was better off dead than be with someone else."