Across town at the Cardoso family house, Cindy finishes watching the podcast, sets down her tablet, and removes her headphones, her expression dark and unsatisfied.Zilda enters the room with a tray of snacks — sandwiches, an apple, and a cup of hibiscus tea.“Sweetheart,” Zilda says gently, “I brought you a snack. What’s wrong?”Cindy remains still, waiting for her mother to place the tray on the bedside table. Zilda catches a glimpse of the podcast Cindy was watching before the screen fades.Zilda swallows, feeling the weight of what she’s about to say.“Mom,” Cindy begins gloomily, “if there’s one rule in my life, it’s that when Patricia the Bitch is happy, I am sad.”“Sweetheart, calm down,” Zilda pleads.“What happened while I was out of it, Mom?” Cindy asks, growing anxious.Zilda sits beside her daughter on the bed. “Honey, everything we do is for your own good.”Cindy, her irritation mounting, snaps, “What crap did you pull this time, thinking you were ‘protecting’ me?”Zilda
Last Updated : 2024-09-28 Read more