eft, sparing them from witnessing her disheveled state. She filled the bathtub with steaming h

couldn't understand why her life had taken such a disastrous turn. It must have started when she caused her father's death. She killed him, and now even th

ashamed to

ce with his dying breath. "My darling... I'm leaving... This family... depends

r closed his eyes, full

covered body and the blood on her own hands, feeling utterly empty. It was as if the

she was the one who killed her father. And her inabil

finally streaming down. "I wish I could die in you

ulders. But her father was gone, and she couldn't... she couldn't show weakness in front of h

es fluttering shut. Her curled eyelashes still clung to remnants of moisture, trembling sli

ept-or if she had slept at all-when

r mother's sobbing voice, "Chloe, Flora

and nights, losing her voice and shedding all her tears until she fell silen

d the phone. Her fragile family c

But in truth, she was panicking. Her mind was a blank slate, and she felt utterly

for a long-sleeved shirt, buttoning it up to hide the marks

*

tear-streaked eyes. The moment her mother saw her, s

family... we'll get through this together..." Chloe's voice caught in her throat as she tri

Paradiso..." Donna choked on her word

und in fear. She had been at Paradiso last night too... Co

un as she struggled

denly fell ill... she's dying..." Donna

arkened, and she

nst the wall for support,

hold back the weight of her tear

is d

ke a curse, squeezing the

words echoed in h

ow will she ever

y declaring, "I slept with your man!" She would rather Flora curse her, call he

er sister was alive! Their family was still w

no

other, her tears falling like a flood, her teeth c

. Her heart was already shattered, more painful than the humiliation

death, and now their family wa

the doors of the emerge

ora Miller

om her eyes and straightened her f

ced at Chloe's weak figure, worried about the small

e no

sion and treatment for several other serious conditions. Expect to need hundreds of thousands of dolla

was more he could have said... but seeing their pitiful state, he couldn't bring himself to say any

ng, the enormous medical bil

legs g

r, and the doctor rushed over to h

d..." Donna w

er's cries, torn between the do

a way to get the money." What did it matter if she had to scrap

irl, once as vibrant as a flower, now reduced to this sorrowful st

i

shook his he

father's death three years ago, she had been working as a pianist at Blues bar, where Mag generously pa

, there was hardly anything left. And Flora, being a high-maintenance spender

hloe too. Sadly, the only friends she had were Mag and her best

th was she