A) the controversy was caused by an overheard conversation (:
The correct option is OVERWHELMED.
To be overwhelmed means to be totally overcome in mind or feeling with a particular emotion such as sadness or remorse. In the passage given above, it is obvious that the character in the passage was already disturbed in mind by past occurrences. The fact that the weather is cold, which somehow relate to what he is going through, completely overcome his emotions to the extent that he started shedding tears.<span />
