Chapter 14

After I said those words, all the strength left my body. Tears fell one after another. Around Harvey, I was always faking tears to win his favor. They came as easily as turning on a faucet, but my heart remained unmoved. So why did it hurt so much this time? Why? I'd already accepted this reality long ago. Why? I'd even shared a bed with her murderer for so long. But saying those words out loud still made my heart ache. What streamed from my eyes didn't feel like tears. It felt like crimson blood. The one responsible for it all had already passed out drunk on the bed. Meanwhile, I collapsed on the floor, curled into a small ball, just like I used to do when I was little. But my sister always found me. She'd let me rest my head on her lap and pat my back gently. I'd always ask her through my tears, "Will things get better?" She'd say, "They will, Stella." I never liked calling her by her given name. Just her nickname. Enna.