The tears on Elise’s cheeks had not yet dried, but she knew she had to leave. Her body still trembled, reeling from all she had overheard. Every word echoed in her mind like a dagger, twisting deeper into her chest. Pushing herself up, she forced her legs to move.

One thing was certain. If she stayed at her family house even for a moment longer, she might pass out from suffocation. If her family could make her carry the guilt for a crime she hadn’t committed, what else could they not do? The thought of it made her stomach churn.

Her vision blurred with tears as she stumbled toward the...