From a Wrong Turn to Mr. Right novel Chapter 301

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Daniel Gill frowned, his concern etched plainly on his face. “I’m gonna make a quick call.”

He’d just fished his phone from his pocket when the door swung open from the inside.

Carmen Gates stood in the doorway, looking like she could barely keep herself upright. Her eyes were puffy and red, her face pale and drained—like someone who’d just had the rug pulled out from under her and was still trying to catch her breath.

Lavinia Bennett rushed forward, her tone thick with worry. “Mom, why’d you take so long to open the door? You scared me half to death.”

Carmen wasn’t the type to hurt herself, even in the worst of times, but there are no absolutes in this world. In a moment of utter collapse, people can do crazy things. With how long she’d taken to answer, Lavinia was genuinely terrified.

“I was just in the bathroom,” Carmen croaked, her voice rough and weak. She was angry, heartbroken—she’d already hit rock bottom once tonight. But when she looked at Lavinia, she couldn’t just shut her out. And she’d never take her pain out on her daughter.

Lavinia let out a shaky sigh of relief, her eyes filling with empathy. “Don’t be upset, okay? Dad’s already gone home. Daniel and I are here to take you back.”

The words had barely left her lips when Carmen’s disbelief flared. Her voice rose, sharp and incredulous. “He left?”

Lavinia nodded, worry in her eyes. She understood the meltdown—who wouldn’t?

Carmen let out a bitter laugh, tears spilling over as she shook her head. “So he just dumps me here and takes off home? What, he’s too ashamed to even face me?”

He’d told her to cool off, and she had—locked away in here, crying until she was numb. And he hadn’t even waited around to say a single word. The whole thing was ridiculous.

Lavinia bit her lip, at a loss for words, until Daniel stepped in. “All the guests are gone, and Dad thought you might still be mad, so he left first. He asked us to bring you home.”

Carmen’s laugh turned colder, more hollow. She fixed Daniel and Lavinia with a look that could cut glass. “And I shouldn’t be mad? Really?”