CHAPTER 232

The time that followed passed in like a blur. I wasn’t still able to cope up with the news that could barely register time or the people coming and going from the house. Everything felt hollow and meaningless without Leon. Aunt Lou, Lena, and Jack did their best to keep me company, but the emptiness that was left by Leon was too vast to fill.

One evening, I sat alone by the window, staring out into the darkness. The house was quiet, but inside me, a storm of emotions raged—grief, anger, and guilt. I wished to turn back time so that I had stopped Leon from going after Wilma. Maybe if I had done something, perhaps he would still be alive.

The day of Leon’s funeral came all too quickly, and yet, every moment leading up to it had felt like an eternity. I moved through the house like a ghost, every step feeling heavier than the last as I prepared for what I knew would be one of the hardest days of my life.

Lena had helped me get dressed, her hands gentle but firm as she guided me through