Joveline looked at Dahmer, her face completely ruined by tears, her mind reeling from the catastrophic collapse of the reality she had constructed. "Why..." she choked out, her voice trembling with an agonizing confusion. "Why did you never mention that to me, Dahmer? Why did you never tell me about the letter? About the poison? Why didn't you ever care to explain the truth to your own mother, and instead just stood there silently, letting me accuse you of such a horrific crime for all these years?"
Before Dahmer could unleash the bitter retort building in his chest, Malcolm stepped slightly forward, his voice carrying a sharp, protective candor that hit the matriarch directly.
