Chapter 13

Mia’s expression softened, and she guided me over to the couch, sitting down beside me. “You don’t have to figure everything out right now,” she said gently. “Just take it one day at a time. And remember, I’m here for you. No matter what happens, you’re not alone.”

Her words offered a small flicker of comfort, but the despair still lingered, a heavy weight that refused to lift. I leaned back against the couch, closing my eyes as I tried to steady my breathing. “Thank you, Mia,” I whispered, grateful for her support even if I couldn’t fully accept it right now.

She stayed with me for a while, talking softly about anything and everything to distract me from my thoughts. It helped, at least a little, to have someone there who cared. But as the night wore on and Mia eventually left, promising to check on me the next day, I was once again left alone with my thoughts.

The days that followed were a blur of whispered conversations and stolen glances. The humiliat