As I finished dealing with Maria, the weight of the revelation still hung heavily in the air. Mandy looked at me with concern etched on her face."Mandy, you should head home. I need to make a stop at my family's house," I said, trying to sound as composed as possible.Mandy’s eyes widened. "Carina, are you sure? You haven't been back there in years. It's... it's a lot to face.""I know, Mandy. But it's time. I need to deal with this, once and for all. I can take care of it," I replied, giving her a reassuring smile, though I wasn’t sure how much I believed it myself."Carina, are you sure you want to do this alone?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.I shook my head, resolute. "I need to face them, Mandy. This has been a long time coming. Go on ahead, I'll be fine."Reluctantly, she nodded and headed to her car. I took a deep breath and started my drive towards the house I had avoided for so long. As I drove through the familiar streets, memories of my past flooded back—how I ha
Read more