a group of people sitting around a dinner table

Beverly Hills, California, 1989 The sun was setting over Beverly Hills, casting long shadows across the manicured lawns of the affluent neighborhood. It was a typical evening in the Menendez household, where the clinking of silverware against porcelain echoed through the lavish dining room. Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers in their twenties, sat at the table across from their parents, José and Mary, engaged in what appeared to be a normal family dinner. But beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect family life lay a dark undercurrent of turmoil and resentment. The brothers, raised in a world of privilege, had endured years of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of their father. José, a successful entertainment executive, was known for his ruthless business dealings, but at home, he was a tyrant. Mary, while more passive, often turned a blind eye to her husband’s cruelty. As the meal progressed, tension simmered just below the surface. Lyle, the older brother, had always been the protector, while