The carefully constructed act of sadness for the "poor animal" shattered. Something inside Alice snapped. The dam broke, and the succulent meat turned to ash in her mouth.
This wasn't just about food; it was about her. The contract, the cage, the life she'd lost. The rich flavor had unwittingly become a catalyst, reminding her of the enduring torment since she signed that cursed paper, how much of her life was no longer hers, and the agonizing distance from Pauline, who felt almost held hostage.
Alice was here, eating, surviving, while everything else burned around her. A raw, ugly sob tore from her throat, followed by another, and another. She couldn't stop. She succumbed to an ugly cry, not bothering to hide her tear-streaked face from the man across from her.
