No Way Back by Anna Mac

Chapter 1 Abandoned In A Fire

A fire broke out, and it quickly spread across the entire room.

Jane Fowler collapsed to the ground, motionless, her body racked by coughing fits from inhaling the thick smoke. Her eyes welled up with tears as she fought for air.

The ash that covered her face and her disheveled hair was not enough to hide the natural and unspoiled beauty of her features.

She was under the influence of something because she was paralyzed and couldn’t move a muscle while wondering when exactly she was drugged.

“Jane, gosh, you look disastrous,” Madelyn Fowler said as she approached, wearing a gas mask.

She was kneeling next to Jane, and from her white dress and gentle tone, she seemed like a sweet, innocent little girl.

Or at least, that was Jane’s long–held belief.

“Did you drug me, Madelyn?” Jane cried out, her expression one of shock and disbelief.

Jane just couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that her sweet, innocent sister could be capable of such vile acts.

“It’s just a test, Jane,” Madelyn replied, removing her gas mask to reveal a sly grin. “I’m interested to see if our family would believe more in you or me when they see this.”

Madelyn then placed her gas mask on Jane’s face and smeared a bit of ash on her own cheeks.

Then, with a gloved hand, she pulled a small knife from her pocket and deliberately sliced open her own arm. The wound was gushing with blood.

Madelyn tossed the knife aside and took off her gloves, which she then slid onto Jane’s paralyzed hands. After that, Madelyn clenched her injured arm and yelled at the top of her lungs, portraying an expression of pure terror.

Mommy! Help me! Janie has

man yelled while he kicked the

her parents and seven brothers rushed to Madelyn’s aid, Jane

so much… Janie is crazy! She started the fire out of the blue and said she wanted to die with me. Then she cut me with a knife and told me I wasn’t good

and her terrified, deer–like eyes, Jack Fowler glanced over at Jane, who was lying on the floor with

the stomach, growling, “I don’t know how I managed to

kick nearly twisted Jane’s

the suffering in her heart far outweighed

it

once taken a

with him when Jack attended a business event, and he brought

into the event, brought a gun

the bullet, while Jack and Madelyn had fled the

the hospital, where she was rushed to intensive

her wounds.

in the hospital until a few days had passed, and

think about it.

hour away from Madelyn

words, but he did explain that Madelyn is an adopted daughter, and he hoped Jane would be more accepting of her situation. Madelyn had always feared

Madelyn called to say she had an emergency, so the Fowlers left Jane

history might assume that Madelyn was their biological

his word because he was her father and the family she had spent so much time and energy seeking. Blood, as they say, is thicker than water, so she had faith that

abandon her.

always gave in to almost everything Madelyn

what Madelyn wanted, Jane always gave it