chapter 32

I was packing up the remnants of my life, shoving old clothes into a box that barely held the weight of all the memories it carried. The room room have lived in was thinning compared to my sister's own. This place, my cage for decades, was finally disappearing into the past. My mattress sat low to the ground, its springs worn and creaking beneath the weight of boxes and folded clothes. But for once, I didn’t mind. For the first time, I was smiling, my heart light as I packed up the final bits of this chapter. I was leaving my cell.

The excitement surged through me as I remembered the first night I spent at Amory’s house. The feeling of sinking into a mattress that didn’t feel like it was made of bricks. The room had been enormous, like something out of a dream. For the first time, I had felt the kind of comfort that seemed only possible in fantasies.

My phone vibrated suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen. Amory. His name lit up, and I felt my heart skip