CHAPTER 50 : SHATTERED HOPES

The dining room was a somber tableau, the grandeur of the surroundings overshadowed by the tension that hung thick in the air. The family members sat in silence, their eyes darting nervously between one another as they awaited the inevitable confrontation. At the head of the table, the grandfather sat, his expression stern and unforgiving as he surveyed the gathered faces before him. Beside him, the grandmother sat, her features drawn with concern as she watched her family with a mixture of sadness and disappointment. "Anybody care to tell me what happened?" she asked, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife. But the room remained eerily quiet, the family members avoiding eye contact as they struggled to find the words to explain the chaos that had unfolded. Silence stretched on, heavy and oppressive, until finally, Susan spoke up, her voice trembling with nerves as she addressed her grandparents. "Let me, grandfather," she said, her eyes downcast as she recounted the ev