Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 4

As Ethan's words hung in the air, a heavy silence filled the car. He glanced at Claire in the rearview mirror, his frustration evident.

"Claire, I'm talking to you. Did you hear me?"-

Finally, Claire turned to face him, her voice steady as she spoke the longest sentence she'd uttered since her release.

"According to the National Prison Act, Article 48, inmates are entitled to meet with family or guardians during their incarceration."

"Inmates typically get a visit once a month, each lasting from half an hour to an hour."

"I served five years, a total of sixty months. I was supposed to see my family sixty times. Yet, not once did I get a visit."

"If your parents missed me so much, why didn't they visit? Were they so busy they couldn't spare even half an hour each month?"

Her voice was calm, but every word pierced through Ethan's fabricated story like a sharp blade.

had been ready to unleash was caught in his throat,

steering wheel tightened, his knuckles whitening with the

it's just that you were too much trouble. Mom and Dad thought it was best for you to stay there and

own good,

the fall for Vanessa,

barely muster the energy to care anymore. She turned her gaze out the window, not

the car pulled into the Linwood

a shopping bag from the backseat

He stopped abruptly, as if remembering Claire, and turned back with an awkward smile still lingering on his

something appropriate for the party,"

alien to Claire. It had never felt like home, lacking even the smallest hint of warmth. The orphanage, in contrast, had been more

creating a cozy atmosphere. She loved the sun-drenched scent of her blanket, a rare comfort that reminded her of

home, she realized it wasn't the sunlit

door to

and crowded with boxes. The only furniture was a folding cot and an