At the end of chapter 24, Betty had left her protagonist, Heathton, abandoned and distraught. “He teetered precariously above the ragged cliff, howling in despair,” she wrote.
“Why, God, why did she leave me?” she continued. “Slowly, as if in a dream, he turned and saw Rachel coming across the dark, stormy landscape, leaning into the cruel raging wind. She arrived just in time to pull this suffering, broken man back from the rocky precipice and safely into her repentant arms.”
It’s Betty’s first novel. This is really good, she tells herself. Look out, Substack ... here I come.
Had Betty just read Wuthering Heights? I think she was channeling Heathcliff and Catherine 😅
Ηmmm... Betty is probably off her rocker... and that's, in fact, a major asset when one is trying to be a writer. I've seen it in practice. A touch of schizophrenia is a blessing for the ones wishing to wade into deep waters (although the majority watching would think he/she who claims that is, too, off his/her rocker.)