Amid the younger man’s stricken silence, Bill continued, “To them, you’re now worse than an outsider. If they’re even going to sell it in the first place, I’m sure they’d much rather lose out than accept the humiliation you so obviously wish to inflict. You’ll have done all of this for nothing.”
The truth in his words hurt Arden so much that he couldn’t stop himself from lashing out.
“Then what am I supposed to do?!” he shouted, subconsciously getting to his feet and forming his shaking hands tightly into fists. “I can’t let them get away with what they’ve done! I can’t let her go on with her life as if none of this was her fault!”
Bill didn’t answer at once. He waited silently as Arden breathed in and out until the worst of his anger ran its course. The young man then fell heavily bac
