Chapter 27

Innocently, she asked if something she had said was the reason for my reaction. I shook my head, then followed her to the reception area where she was crying uncontrollably on a sofa. I hugged her and tried to comfort her.

Curious about the cause of her distress, I asked gently if she had had a fight with her mom. But Cassandra shook her head and continued to cry. "I wish it were that simple," she whispered, which made my heart sink.

Cassandra then revealed that her mother had Alzheimer's disease. Her tears continued to flow, and my heart ached for her. Looking at her tear-streaked face and the pain in her eyes, I felt a sharp pang in my gut.

It reminded me of the time when I went home and found out that my own mother did not recognize me. At first, I couldn't believe it, thinking that she was just joking around. But as time passed, I came to realize that something was seriously wrong. It was heartbreaking.

Listening to Cassandra's story, I was overwhelmed by a deep sense of horror as