Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Peyton felt a pang of guilt, knowing deep down that Emma's previous pregnancy was no mere rumor. After all, hadn't she sent Emma to town to take care of it, to get an abortion? She turned to Emma, who looked absolutely terrified. Bruises from a man's grip marked her neck and wrists, her face was ghostly pale, and she was trembling uncontrollably. But instead of pity for her daughter, Peyton felt a surge of anger-anger at being embarrassed in front of the whole town.

In a place like this, reputation was everything. If people started gossiping, how could they ever live it down?

The murmurs around her became unbearable, so she rushed over to Emma.

"Emma, what in the world is going on here?" Peyton demanded.

The Odeberg family's limping patriarch snorted in disdain.

"Don't play dumb. It's obvious you and your daughter are trying to scam us out of the dowry. Absolutely shameless. No wonder the men in your family are all dead. Must be karma." Peyton's face twisted in fury, but she felt powerless against the crowd's accusations. She couldn't defend herself or Emma alone.

She hurried to help Emma up, her tone urgent.

"Emma, for heaven's sake, explain what's happening here!"

Wasn't the child supposed to be taken care of already? How could the Odebergs now claim that Emma was still pregnant?

Did Emma not go through with the abortion after all?

The thought sent chills down Peyton's spine.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Emma, finally snapping out of her daze, knew she had to come clean to Peyton.

"Mom, I... I couldn't do it. The baby... it's still with me. I couldn't go through with it."

The slap that followed echoed loudly, Peyton's rage causing her whole body to tremble.

"What did you just say?!" she hissed.

Emma's cheek stung, her entire body ached, and the remnants of the drugs in her system still clouded her mind. But that slap brought everything into sharp focus. Slowly, leaning on a nearby chair, she stood up, her demeanor calm as she faced the onlookers.

"I said, the baby is still with me. And I won't be marrying into the Odeberg family."

The crowd's whispers grew louder, fueled by Peyton's earlier outburst.

"Mrs. Moll, did you know about Emma's condition all along? Were you just pretending to be clueless?"

"Didn't Emma go to town last week? My cousin saw her at the clinic."

"Maybe she thought about getting an abortion but chickened out. How disgraceful, carrying a child out of wedlock."

Peyton was beside herself, rendered speechless by the swirling gossip. This was her lowest moment, humiliated because of her daughter.

She couldn't help but slap Emma again.

"Have you lost your mind?! I told you to take care of it! Why do you insist on making a fool of me in front of everyone? I regret ever having you! You're a curse." Just when life was looking up, it all came crashing down.

Being the subject of everyone's scorn felt like living in hell, compared to the heavenly praise she once dreamed of.

The crowd's relentless jeering, led by the Odeberg patriarch's insults, was unbearable. Yet, amidst the chaos, Emma remained the calmest.

Her cheek swollen, her hair disheveled, she touched her face, wiping away the blood from her lips.

In that moment, she understood

what her teacher had once said

about the importance of stepping out into the world and gaining knowledge. The village, with its cruel gossip and hostility towards women, was a small, unfriendly world.

"The nerve of some people, men straying is one thing, but a girl getting pregnant before marriage? Never thought she'd be that kind."

"The Odebergs must be cursed to deal with such disgrace."

"Let's call it a night. The Odebergs and the Molls have their own mess to sort out."

As the crowd treated the situation like a spectacle, Peyton fainted amidst the cacophony of condemnation.

Emma, drenched by a cup of water from the Odeberg patriarch, tried to help her mother up. Still weak from the drugs, she looked around for assistance, but found none.

Everyone viewed her as if she were trash. .

In that moment, Emma felt profound sadness. Her brief glimpse into the world Dustin inhabited in

Beaconsfield was something she could hardly fathom. Now, facing her own harsh reality, she wondered how she could ever belong in his world.

The concept of "matching doors and windows," meaning equal social standing, echoed in her mind. She and Dustin were worlds apart.