Nathan ripped the phone from her hand.

Then came the moment I will never forget.

He shoved her hard against the counter.

A candle crashed onto the curtains.

Flames spread instantly.

Claire screamed.

And Nathan…

Walked away.

My mother collapsed.

I remember screaming so loudly my throat tore raw.

The detective paused the footage with trembling hands.

“He left her there,” he said quietly.

Nathan was arrested that same night.

Second-degree murder.

Fraud.

Domestic abuse.

Obstruction.

Vanessa disappeared before the trial even began.

During sentencing, Nathan finally looked at me directly for the first time in months.

And whispered:

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like that.”

I stared at him for a long moment before answering.

“But it did.”

He cried when they led him away.

I didn’t.

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