FEW MONTHS LATER

The visiting room was stifling with tension as Victoria sat across from Sophia, Amber, and her ex-husband, Jack. It had been a week since she was sentenced to life imprisonment on the account of Hector’s murder. The silence stretched as a guard stood by the door, and a muted television flickered on the wall behind them. Each face held a mixture of anger, hurt, and betrayal, but no one dared to speak first.

Victoria, as calm and composed as ever, snapped her fingers at the guard. “Turn up the volume,” she instructed coolly.

The guard did as instructed and the announcer’s voice filled the room.

“A few...