The atmosphere inside the house had turned unbearable.
The walls themselves seemed to close in,
pressing down with a suffocating weight.
Nothing felt right anymore.
Wee's father, still weak from illness,
erupted once again at the sight of Lu's photograph.
Rage twisted his face.
His voice rose, sharp and venomous:
"I hate him!
I hate everything about him!
That man killed my daughter....
he is her murderer!
I don't ever want to see his face again!
Throw this picture out of my house!"
His shouts filled the room,
harsh and unrelenting.
The commotion drew attention....
Jain, their neighbor,
rushed in with his wife, Miya,
trying desperately to calm the storm.
But Wee's father would not stop.
Again and again,
his gaze locked on Lu's photograph,
his words spitting hatred like fire.
Through it all,
Yen's tears flowed ceaselessly....
like water from a broken vessel,
pouring until nothing remained inside.
Miya gently pulled Yen to her feet,
leading her to the bedroom,
away from the chaos.
And there,
Yen finally broke.
She collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably,
as though a heavy stone
pressed harder and harder against her heart.
Miya tried to comfort her,
her voice soft, steady:
"Yen… what's done cannot be undone.
You must hold yourself together.
You must endure."
But Yen's reply came ragged,
a voice torn with pain:
"No, Miya…
I cannot forget this.
I cannot let it go.
My heart knows…
Lu could never do such a thing to his own sister.
He loved her too much.
There must be something else.....
something we do not yet see…"
Her words crumbled into sobs once more,
and Yen wept again,
her grief unending.