mug face. He had the decency to look slightly uncomforta

your loss," he said, his

launting it, daring me to react. The man she murdered our daughter for was in our h

d, my voice flat.

o walk up

oice sharp. "I'm making d

ked. In our seven years of marriage, she had maybe

" I asked, turni

ud little smile on her lips as she gla

ion. My daughte

een simmering insid

u," I said, m

problem, David? Mark is our guest.

d came out as a

"Stop acting like a child

g hand on Sarah's arm. "Sarah, maybe thi

ws how to be." She turned her glare back to me. "Look at you. You can't even be polite to my friend. T

d, my voice lo

only one who lost someone? I lost a daughter too! But I'm trying to mov

m her to Mark. "Bringing your lover into

shrieked, though her eye

my voice rising. "I heard you.

e. Mark looked from me to her,

I continued, my voice breaking. "I heard you ta

her mouth opening an

asting like poison. "You laughed while I was at th

r voice. "She was sick! She was going to die a

t would tear me apart. "You call it mercy? I call it a convenience! You killed her because

trembling fi

r replaced by venom. "You and your pathetic 'research.' You lived in my house, spent m

bro

e technology you and your family built an empire on? That was me! I developed it! I worked myself

f ice cream, flooded my mind. The pain was a

giving way to a wave of pure, agonizing grief. "S

For a moment, I saw a flicker of so

it came. Her expression hard

aid, her voice b

her, stunned

ouse," she repeated, her

beautiful, empty house that held only ghosts and lies. A

wasn't my house.

The storm inside me had passed, leaving

d walked up

" she calle

ut didn't t

come

n't pack much. A few clothes. My laptop. The photos of L

he was standing at the bottom, a strange look on her

you doing?

I said simply.

a hint of panic in her voice. "W

that covered," I replied,

pened it. I paused on the thresh

a divorc