Chapter Thirty

"Stop blaming yourself, Leslie. Mom wouldn’t have wanted this." Shaun's words did nothing to comfort Leslie as she stood by the kitchen sink, staring at the mug of tea she hadn’t touched. Her shoulders slumped, and her lips trembled, but she refused to meet her brother's gaze. "I should’ve been there, Shaun," she murmured, her voice laced with anguish. "Instead, I wasted two years chasing after a man who didn’t even see me. Two years I could’ve spent with her." Her fingers tightened around the edge of the counter, her knuckles turning white. "And now she’s gone." Shaun stepped closer, rubbing his temples in frustration. He hated seeing his sister like this—hollow, consumed by guilt. "Leslie," he began, his tone firmer, "you couldn’t have known. You loved him, and you gave it your all. That’s not a crime." "But it was a mistake," she snapped, her eyes narrowing as tears stung her eyes. She turned to face him, her cheeks flushed with anger and sorrow. "I chose wrong, Shaun. I let Luk