Olivia's heart tightened.
"I’m sorry about your sister," she said softly, her voice filled with empathy.
Veronica gave a small, sad smile. "It’s okay," she replied, though the sadness in her eyes lingered.
Helen blinked, a look of surprise on her face. "You never told me about her," she said, her voice tinged with hurt.
Veronica let out a deep sigh, leaning back in her chair. "There were... some painful memories associated with Ophelia," she explained, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of her cup.
Olivia, sensing that Veronica might need to release those memories, asked gently, "Would you like to talk about it?"
For a moment, Veronica was silent, staring down at her cup as though lost in thought. Then she sighed deeply and began.
"Ophelia was 3 years older than me; she was
