Joveline stood trembling at the far end of the table, the tears washing down her cheeks doing nothing to wash away the madness burning in her bloodshot eyes. She didn't cower under the roar of Dahmer's voice. Instead, she let out a broken, wet laugh, clutching her trembling hands against her ribs as if trying to hold her frail, shattering body together.
"It was worth it, Dahmer!" Joveline cried out, her voice cracking under the suffocating weight of her own desperation. "It was entirely worth doing what I did! Because I am about to die! My time is running out, Dahmer, and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving this world leaving my only son in the dark! I wanted to leave you in the hands of someone you truly love—and someone who loves you back just as fiercely! I had to test it! I had to push both of you to the absolute edge to see if your bond was real, and I saw it! I saw true love in both of your eyes when the threat of losing each other hit!"
