The sky was a deep, foreboding gray, as if it too were mourning the loss of Judy. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth as Ivy walked behind the hearse, her eyes fixed on the polished wooden casket adorned with a spray of white lilies, Judy's favorite flowers.

As they reached the gravesite, the mourners gathered around, their faces etched with grief and sorrow. But Ivy's eyes were fixed on one person alone, one person she wished she could crush, melt, break, or kill if it wasn't against the law. Steve stood in front of everyone else, his face showing the grief more than anyone else. Many...