Chapter 146
In Chapter 146 of “Dreams Folding Into Broken Time,” the protagonist, Savannah, grapples with complex emotions surrounding her family dynamics, particularly her relationship with her uncle, Jace. The chapter opens with Savannah’s hesitation upon hearing Jace’s voice, highlighting the tension and unresolved feelings she harbors. Unlike other family members, Jace has always been a passive observer, choosing to remain on the sidelines during family conflicts. His attempts to reach out to Savannah reveal a sense of urgency and concern, especially regarding her well-being and the worries of her mother and siblings.
As the conversation unfolds, Savannah’s bitterness and frustration become palpable. She lashes out at Jace, expressing her feelings of neglect and betrayal, particularly in relation to her sister Chloe, whom she views as an enemy rather than a sibling. This exchange reveals the deep-seated pain Savannah has endured, feeling overlooked and mistreated in favor of Chloe. Jace’s attempts to downplay the situation by suggesting that siblings fight and love each other only exacerbate Savannah’s anger, as she feels her experiences and suffering have been dismissed.
The emotional climax of the chapter occurs when Savannah confronts Jace about the trauma she has faced, specifically referencing a past incident of sexual assault. Her declaration that she refuses to be silenced any longer marks a significant turning point in her character arc. Savannah’s determination to voice her pain and demand acknowledgment from her family is both empowering and heartbreaking. The silence that follows her revelation underscores the gravity of her words, leaving her feeling isolated and unheard.
Overall, this chapter encapsulates the struggle for validation and the need to confront painful truths within a family that has perpetuated silence and denial. Savannah’s journey towards reclaiming her voice is fraught with emotion, revealing the complexities of familial love, loyalty, and the scars that can linger beneath the surface. The chapter ends on a poignant note, emphasizing the profound impact of trauma and the desperate need for recognition and support from those who should have been allies.
**TITLE: Dreams Folding Into Broken Time p>
**Chapter 146 p>
Uncle Jace.
I hesitated, my heart racing as I processed the sound of his name.
Unlike the others in our family, Jace had always been the one who occupied the shadows, lingering at the edges of our chaotic gatherings. He was never one to insert himself into the fray, preferring to remain a quiet observer. Harmless. He was the uncle who, at family reunions, would slyly slip me extra pieces of candy when no one was watching, the one who would ask about my school life but never seemed to really listen to my answers, and he was the one who never took sides. To him, choosing a side meant admitting that a battle was being fought, and he preferred to remain blissfully ignorant of the conflict swirling around us.
And perhaps that was why I answered him.
“Say?” His voice crackled through the speaker, weary yet edged with a hint of relief. “Thank God. Thank God you finally picked up. We’ve been trying to reach you for days p>
“I’m alive, Uncle Jace.” My tone was flat, almost surgical in its precision. “I just didn’t feel like talking to any of you p>
He sighed heavily, the sound reverberating through the line, a weight that almost rattled the receiver. “I understand, sweetheart. I truly do. But your mother has been worried sick. Everyone has been worried sick about you p>
“Right,” I muttered, bitterness curling around each word like smoke. “Considering they all just stood by while Chloe tore me apart piece by piece, I bet they’re really concerned. I mean, who’s Chloe going to pick on now p>
“Sav, don’t speak like that p>
“I’ll speak however the hell I want,” I shot back, my voice rising with every syllable. “I’m not a child anymore p>
The silence on the other end of the line stretched, thick and suffocating. He tried again, softer this time, coaxing me as if I were a toddler throwing a fit. “Siblings fight sometimes, Sav. Chloe loves you too, in her own… strange way p>
“Love?” I scoffed, disbelief lacing my words. “She doesn’t love me, and you know that p>
He paused, as if weighing his next words carefully. “Sav… don’t talk like that. Your mom’s worried sick. Chloe is still your sister, no matter what’s happened p>
Something inside me snapped, a fragile thread fraying under the weight of his words.
It was the same tired script, the same rehearsed lines I had been force-fed for more than two decades. Excuses masquerading as wisdom. Platitudes that swept my pain under the rug, dismissing it as if it were nothing.
I almost laughed, but instead, my eyes burned with unshed tears.
“No, Uncle Jace,” I said, my voice trembling, “she doesn’t love me. She never did. And don’t you dare sit there and tell me otherwise. Chloe is not my sister. She is my enemy. She made that abundantly clear. And I’m done pretending otherwise p>
“Savannah p>
“No. Let me finish.” My words sliced through the air, sharp enough to draw blood.
Because I was done.
I was done with being silenced, with swallowing screams until they festered into ulcers. I was tired of watching everyone nod and smile at Chloe’s cruelty as if it were merely a quirky character flaw instead of the systematic torture and bullying it truly was.
“You,” I spat, “you’re my father’s brother. You’ve been there. You witnessed how he idolized her—how he praised her every breath while treating me like an afterthought, a defective piece of furniture. For two decades, you stood by as he slowly suffocated me with that favoritism. You watched him nurture the roots of hatred between us until the tree of bitterness split our family apart. And what did you do, Uncle Jace? Did you intervene? Did you ever once defend me p>
The silence that followed told me everything I needed to know.
“No,” I hissed, my voice low and venomous. “You didn’t. You let it happen. You all let it happen. And now you think you can fix it with a phone call? With cheap words about love? You can’t just tape over a cracked dam, Uncle. Not when the water’s already drowned me p>
“Sav, don’t—” His voice cracked, a tremor of desperation.
“I’m not finished.” My chest heaved, my throat burned, but the words clawed their way out, sharp and ugly. Because the truth wasn’t just about Chloe. It never had been.
It was about everything they had buried. Everything they had forced me to bury.
And today, I was digging it up.
“I know what you’re doing,” I said, my voice quieter now, but colder, like ice cutting through flesh. “You’re trying to smother me with silence again. To silence me before I say the thing that none of you want to admit p>
“Savannah—please p>
“No. You listen.” My voice cracked, but I pushed through the pain. “Because if I don’t say it now, I never will. And I refuse to let you erase me anymore. I refuse to take the fall when I’m the victim p>
I gripped the phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white, my vision blurring with tears I refused to wipe away.
“When Professor Kingston raped me,” I whispered, each word feeling like jagged glass lodged in my throat, “where the hell were you? Why didn’t you stand up for me then p>
The line fell into a suffocating silence.
So silent that I could hear my own heart shattering.
In this poignant confrontation, Savannah finally confronts the painful truths that have long been buried beneath layers of family denial and complicity. The phone call with Uncle Jace becomes a catalyst for her emotional liberation, allowing her to voice her anguish and the betrayal she has felt for so long. As she lays bare the wounds inflicted by both her sister and her family’s silence, her words resonate with a fierce clarity that shatters the facade of normalcy they have all clung to. This moment marks a significant turning point for Savannah, as she shifts from a place of passive suffering to one of active reclamation of her narrative, refusing to be silenced any longer.
The weight of her trauma, once hidden in the shadows, now stands exposed, demanding acknowledgment and accountability. Savannah’s raw honesty forces Uncle Jace—and, by extension, her entire family—to confront the uncomfortable truths they have avoided. The emotional arc culminates in her refusal to accept their hollow reassurances; she is no longer the invisible girl in the background but a woman asserting her right to be heard and validated. In this act of defiance, Savannah not only breaks the cycle of silence that has suffocated her but also begins to forge a path toward healing, reclaiming her identity from the shards of her broken past.
**What to Expect in Next Chapter p>
As the echoes of Savannah’s painful revelation hang heavy in the air, readers can anticipate a seismic shift in the dynamics of her family. With the truth finally clawed from the depths of her soul, the walls that have long shielded their secrets are bound to crumble. Uncle Jace, caught in the crossfire of Savannah’s anguish, will have to confront not only his own complicity in the family’s toxic web but also the repercussions of his silence. Will he finally step out of the shadows and acknowledge the pain that has festered for years, or will he retreat, leaving Savannah to face her demons alone?
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into Savannah’s internal struggle as she grapples with the aftermath of her confession. The fragile threads of her identity, woven through years of neglect and abuse, will be tested as she navigates the treacherous waters of familial loyalty and betrayal. Readers can expect raw, unfiltered emotions as Savannah seeks to reclaim her voice and assert her truth in a world that has long tried to silence her. Will she find the strength to stand firm against the tide of denial, or will the weight of her revelations threaten to pull her under once more? The stakes are higher than ever, and the journey to healing is just beginning.
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.