At home, things were no better. Esther had a habit of breaking Arthur’s and James’s toys—not in childish frustration, but methodically, like an adult dismantling something piece by piece. Yet, whenever confronted, she would collapse into tears, crying like a toddler denied a treat.
Veronica struggled to reconcile these contradictions. One moment, Esther acted like an adult, cunning and manipulative; the next, she was a helpless child, sobbing uncontrollably. The emotional whiplash left Veronica exhausted, trying to make sense of the strange duality.