Roxanne sat on the edge of her bed, the silence of the house swallowing her whole.

The curtains were drawn, but golden rays of late afternoon sun still found their way in through the gaps, casting fractured light across the floor.

Her eyes were unfocused, fixed on the patch of sunlight at her feet.

Still.

Quiet.

Hollow.

Reina's words had echoed through her mind for hours, louder than any sound, sharper than any pain.

“You really did end up married to a disabled man at the ...