Chapter 117

LORRAINE'S POV

As the door closed behind me, I leaned against it for a moment, trying to steady my breathing, but the tears that had been threatening all day finally broke free.

I sank to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest. I let the sobs wrack my body. The memories of the assault in the manager's office replayed over and over in my mind. It was overwhelming, suffocating, and the tears flowed uncontrollably.

“How did this happen?” I whispered to the empty room “How did everything fall apart so quickly?”

The trauma of what happened in the manager's office was still fresh in my mind. I replayed it over and over. I remembered how helpless I felt. I didn't want to think of what would have happened if I hadn't escaped.

Even through my tears, a tiny voice inside me whispered that I couldn’t break down completely. I had to be strong for my boys. They depended on me. Wiping my face with the back of my hand, I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand.

Later that evening, I forced a