Helen and Nestra Goode-Hamartia looked over the casket of Penelope Goode, their dead cousin. The whole Goode family was there to cherish the life of a young girl who died too early. Even though some members of the Hamartia family were there, Mel was able to convince them.

"Poor Penelope," Helen stifled back a tear, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. Even in death, Penny looked terrified and agonized. Her pupils were still dilated and wide with horror, her expression ghastly.

"This whole funeral is poor," Nestra tutted. "No Greek traditions in sight, sister. And the time is such an inconvenience, the early evening? A shame to the Goodes' name. And Orestes is so fussy these days, I think our aunt forgot he's a growing baby."

"Nestra!" Helen gasped. "That's so rude!"

"Oh please, you're cheating on your husband, it's fine."

Her sister's cheeks flared up in redness.

Orestes was resting in a stroller with Nestra's husband, both of them were drooling. The three daughters—Geneia, Electra, Chrissy—were playing with the soot and dirt. Nestra had flair for naming her children after Greek characters, shortened, of course.

"Good riddance, just throw the white blooms in and go," Nestra said, hers already thrown in. Helen looked scandalized, but did the same. They both uttered a prayer before leaving.

"Is Paris here by any chance?" Nestra asked, rolling her eyes once more.

"I-I—"

"Don't play dumb, Helen, it's childish."

"Auntie Helen!" Chrissy screamed, running into Helen's open arms. She was scooped up, squealing and giggling like a little girl. Nestra narrowed her eyes, feeling twangs of jealousy.

"That's enough," she coughed and Helen set Chrissy down. "Besides, isn't it bad for the baby girl?"

"I'm already showing? It's only two months..." Helen rubbed her stomach self-consciously. Nestra knew that Helen was always moody about her body image.

"Got any baby names?" Nestra snorted. "Hermione sounds beautiful."

"Like from Harry Potter?" Chrissy asked, puzzled.

"I'm not having a baby named after a Greek character in the Iliad, dear sister," she shot back, but then she softened. "But Hermione really is a beautiful name, Mel already suggested it."

Nestra leaned into Helen's ears, whispering. "It is Mel's child, correct?"

Her cheeks went red. "Yes, it is! It's not Paris', that's for sure."

"You can't keep switching between two men, sister. Pick one, it's easy. Besides, karma will catch up with you. I saw Mel speaking to various other women, it's all frightening and disrespectful to the family name if—"

Helen ignored her. "How are you, Chrissy?"

"I saw a girl in a wheelchair, she's really pretty! She's all dolled up!" she chirped. Nestra and Helen exchanged worried glances. Alexis Kathan. One of Penny's friends and it was an embarrassing mess to deal with.

"I'll go chat her up," Helen said, leaving Nestra to handle Chrissy. She plowed through the crowd of mourners, pretending to dab her eyes with the sleeve of her black dress.

Finally, she saw the ailing girl who made the headlines. Alexis Kathan wore a loose black dress that was quite short. Helen walked her way over, smiling. "Hello, are you Alexis?"

"Uhm, yeah. You're Helen, right? Congrats on the wedding."

Her eyes twitched. "Thank you very much. I'm sorry for your loss."

Alexis nodded awkwardly. "Yeah...Penny was...really something."

"Penny?"

"I meant P-Penelope, obviously."

"I heard Penelope's parents are planning to write a memoir for my dear cousin," Helen batted her eyelashes. Her plan was to make sure that Alexis didn't blab something stupid about the family name. "It'll be so great."

"What happened on Omfori?"

Helen gulped. She didn't like to hear the island's name, it reminded her of how many times she was shot with dirty looks. She and Mel were the ones who gifted Omfori to the girls, and she suffered the brunt of it. "More of how Penelope Goode was a good girl. You get it?"

Alexis shifted in her wheel uncomfortably. "Uhm..."

Helen felt hesitant, but she was curious. "You disagree?"

"I was kind of her friend, BFF even, so it feels wrong to say this, but..." she trailed off, cringing. She tucked her beautiful blond hair behind her ears, trying to find the words. "I—"

"IF I CAN GET YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!"

The crowd of weeping and rich people came to a halt. There was an old woman fighting for the microphone from Nestra who was also carrying Electra in her arms. The life of a mother, of course.

Helen has never seen this crazy woman in her entire life. "Who is this?!"

Alexis' jaw dropped. "That's Mrs. Aigle."

The Aigles? As in Hespa Aigle? Karma was catching up quicker than Helen expected. Mrs. Aigle finally snatched back the microphone, narrowing her eyes. "This very day is also the day I lost my Hespa Aigle. But no one, NO ONE, came to her funeral. And y-yet, you show up to the funeral of her killer."

Didn't Penelope's parents pay this woman to shut up? "Someone stop her!"

Nestra set down Electra, fuming. "Ma'dam, calm down and give me—"

"I'M NOT FINISHED QUITE YET, MRS. GOODE-HERMARTIA!" Mrs. Aigle screeched. "YOU ALL ARE WICKED!"

"Ma'dam! That's enough!" Nestra cried out. Murmurs started to spread, and so did shouts of angst and compassion for Hespa Aigle. Helen Goode felt trapped, as if she saw flashes of her family name's undoing.

"YOU KNOW WHAT'S NOT ENOUGH? YOU KNOW WHAT THE WORST PART IS OTHER THAN MY DAUGHTER'S MURDER?!" Mrs. Aigle seemed out of breath after screaming. Nestra glanced at Alexis who was trying to contain a goofy laugh. Useless.

Mrs. Aigle took a deep breath, sighing. She locked eyes with everyone in the funeral service. "Penelope Goode was not a good girl."

Alexis lifted her chin, muttering. "Not the slightest."