Chapter 53

The days leading up to Hilary's graduation felt like a blur of frantic preparations and forced smiles. The house was abuzz with excitement, a whirlwind of activity, yet Hilary couldn't shake a sense of unease. The event felt more like an obligation than a celebration, a culmination of years of pressure and expectations rather than a genuine expression of her own accomplishments. She longed to escape the suffocating attention, the constant reminders of her family's wealth and status, and simply start her life at the university. She wasn't sure what she wanted to be, but she was determined to forge her own path, to find her own purpose, to be more than just the daughter of Hilaire Clinton.

On the morning of her graduation, Hilary woke to the scent of freshly brewed coffee and the soft murmur of voices coming from downstairs. Her mother, Jana, was in the kitchen, her face radiating a motherly pride, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She held a garment bag, the brand name embossed in b