Elizabeth's POV

The days after my mother’s confrontation were unbearable. Every sound, every shadow seemed heavier. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face, her lips twisting into a sneer as she told me he would always come back to her.

I wanted to scream, to throw myself into the streets and demand the world make sense. But I couldn’t. Not yet. I was still too fragile.

I wandered through my days quietly, trying not to be noticed, trying to stay invisible in the world. I couldn’t ...