At that moment when I heard the word “death,” all my strength seemed to drain away. I collapsed helplessly onto the ground.

Kevin stood frozen in place, stunned.

Darlene Lopez whispered in his ear, “Could this be one of Grace’s cruel pranks? If something happened to Blanche, would Grace have come here?”

Upon hearing this, Kevin kicked me roughly.

“Grace, you make me sick. Are you out of your mind, making jokes about our daughter’s life?”

I fell onto the gravel path in the park, staring blankly at Kevin. I felt devoid of any emotion, only a numb emptiness.

Seeing my strange demeanor, Kevin’s tone softened.

“I know it’s wrong...