Chapter 18

Aria’s POV

After Jenna left, I was left alone to face the impending audition. I stared at the empty chairs and the dim lighting, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

“I can't stand anymore. I'm too tired.” I took my seat and not long after, I doze off.

****

The air was thick with tension as I found myself in a dimly lit room that felt all too familiar. Shadows stretched across the walls, and the soft hum of muted voices filled my ears. Suddenly, Mother’s voice pierced through the haze, sharp and demanding.

"What do you mean, you knew?" she exclaimed, disbelief lacing every word. "How could you possibly have known that Caleb and Susan were having an affair, and not tell us?"

Her question hung in the air like a heavy fog, and I bit my lip, feeling torn. I wanted to explain—the truth swirled within me like a storm—but it was too complex for words. The affair she mentioned felt foreign to me, a remnant of my past life, tangled in memories that were both vivid and hazy. Nothing made sense in