It had been a month since that fateful conversation at the rose mansion. Tonight, I had promised to take Mom to dinner at the Terrence family's estate. Judith would be arriving any minute to pick us up, and I was still deliberating over what to wear.

Just then, Mom appeared, looking radiant in a pastel-hued knee-length dress, her hair styled in a sleek bun adorned with delicate pins. 

She smiled at me and held out a dress, saying, "Come on, try this one on."

The dress lingered in my mind, making me feel uneasy.

I had politely declined, but Mom insisted I wear it before Judith arrived. And, to be...