Chapter 11: Aftermath The refrigerator hummed in secretive indifference as Marlene navigated her morning. Its monotony barely concealed the disarray in her thoughts, each flicker of doubt manifesting in a clink of silverware or the uncertain weight of coffee cups cradled in her palms. Pictures framed a life of bygone simplicity, their frozen grins a silent indictment of the passions now in play. Her routine bore the hollo...