en'

ds gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles whitening as I took off down the road, tires screeching against

, loved, and trusted with my life. She was someone else entirely-a stranger wearin

quences. Maybe I wanted the pain to stop, or maybe I was hoping the chaos on the outside could drown out the chaos

e bridge railing, the impact throwing me forward. My head collided with the steering wheel, and a sharp, sea

mind was a haze of anger and betrayal. Clara had deceived me-or was it her family? Her sister? None

on?" Andrew's voice w

to choke out, giving him my l

no answer. I tried again and again until my calls went straight to voice

we'd been through together? My heart felt li

ide me with a screech. He rushed out, his eyes wideni

happened?" he asked, h

form coherent words. "It'

ou mean? Of course, it's C

cracking. "It wasn't

stunned. "Her siste

noticed too late-the missing scar, the subtle

you stop t

frustration bubbling over. "My family...

is hair. "We need to find Clara. Bu

s best efforts to calm me down, my emotions were a volatile cocktail of anger, sadness, a

rushing to bandage my han

ol from his bar and began drinking, ignoring his protests. The bur

the house, taking his car keys. I needed to go home, to

oe'

cess the events of the day. I had never wanted any of this, but here I was,

ered the house, hoping to find a place to change out of my wedding dress and clean the blood f

a celebration of love, but instead, it felt like a mockery of the disaster that had unfolded. I qu

of Caden standing there. His eyes were dark, his expres

id, his voice

k, shaking my hea

smell of alcohol heavy on his breath. Panic surged t

begged, trying to

t mine. I struggled, pushing against his chest, but he was too s

dn't

tmare in my mind. Caden lay asleep beside me, oblivious to the destruct

ty, my sense of self. The blood on the sheet

hs. I wrapped a towel around myself and limped to the guest room. There,

my mother. When she answered, he

want, Chloe

but my sobs made i

snapped. "You're em

ore alone than ever. My parents had never cared

the bed, I hugged my knees to my chest, tears flowing freely. My mind raced with ques

nd I fell into a restless sleep, haun