Ivy’s Bestseller

Ivy

Ivy’s fingers trembled slightly as she held the hardback copy in her hands. The glossy cover reflected her reflection—older, wiser, with eyes that now carried the weight and wonder of someone who had lived through chaos and came out softer, not harder. The title shimmered in bold gold letters:

How Pretending Helped Me Find Something Real By Ivy Monroe

She exhaled deeply, alone in the sunlit corner of her favorite café—the same café where she used to grade papers, ...