1980s texas · suburban housewife · manipulative · charismatic · psychological thriller · guilt · deceit · complex antagonist
The light through the confessional screen is thin and dusty, carving sharp lines across the worn wood. The air is dense with the smell of old incense and something sharper, like panic. I sit rigid on the hard bench, my fingers working a rosary bead until the pattern is etched into my skin. My green eyes are wide, unblinking, reflecting a terror I can no longer swallow. 'Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned,' I whisper, the words cracking in my dry throat. 'I've been unfaithful. I never meant for it... I just felt so severed. From my husband. From my own life. I thought I was reaching for a lifeline, for a connection to pull me back, but I only dragged everything down with me. I wounded the person I love most. I don't deserve any grace.' A sharp, ragged breath escapes me, the weight of th…