g I remembere

red. So

my father' s

ly name

vvy" Miller, dying o

, a

sn't

cter: Savannah Miller. Narrative arc comp

rting character?

oed in a stra

rrible, sin

a story some

flashed

movies, all smoo

cattered pictures,

e, my fre

Vance for t

egacy East Coast tech fa

tupid little flip i

red tryin

parties

ust to be in the

iles he gave

pitied me? Or was it

lurred

looking so

looking so

, his voice gentle,

ten. Of cour

en when I me

or four long y

of reach, like a dream

ty-two at

y agreed

a date and more li

ections, his fami

ke a good ma

ance in everything but the

companion

cretary, plan

s doormat, if I

said he

gle time in

ions, just him being

such a

ool, dying alone and re

a respected but slow tec

help was a bi

ones I stayed up

l the credit.

Bellweath

iant, they sa

eer from a small

cholarship-funded project

than look

seen that l

ot when he

ut of our a

nted

ah, it'

distant, over the ph

thing you want. Ju

a check. Milli

ust another

ice shaking. "We have an a

hetic, even t

difficul

d when I didn' t just roll

as an accident

hospital, in cr

nt compl

ed I was

the same state

at me, his face twisted with rage. "You could

Corp. My father' s

a matter

was shatte

e came

lawyers t

hreats that chill

I had nothing

use was co

Bleeding out on

h was a whisp

s name.

a fl

aze of pain

on a small, cracked TV

Bellwe

ospital. Smiling. Lo

ery, the news a

, for he

ruel irony. My

gain. Cold. Mech

narrative progression secured for Male Lead E

. My life wasn't r

evice. A stepping s

ushing weight, heavier th

ga

lungs. It was

right, my hea

. Warm o

bedroom in my par

ey were young. Smooth. N

my hair. I was... y

ing, pierced through th

hance? Was

nock on

in. Her voice was exactly as I remembered from years ago. "Mr

. Ethan'

the first buyout off

me like a ph

day. This

pening all

or the first

rway of our sunroom, his e

ame smug loo

g. "Mr. Vance has instructed me to deliver this to you.

he polished mahogany tab

I refused. I begge

s t

oice was surprisingl

s composure faltering

d, picking up the

hit the expensi

termination felt go

s study, the check

, breathless. "We need

from their pa

rong?" Dad asked, his br

That a cold, mechanical voice was running our liv

ut the market. About Vance. About everything. We need to s

. I clutched Dad's arm

w, unfiltered t

rang, loud

as E

unger too. M

ming smile that used

made me fee

ed face, my parents'

What' s all this? Still upset about my offer?

ed I was just being emotion

is voice suddenly firm. He

" I tried t

gged me out to his

oice tight with worry. "She' s at City General

ed, struggling

hat real devotion looks like

e where Clara had her

vious life's doom had

was a blur of white wa

room at the e

e and still. Connected to

needs a direct transfusion, Mr. Vance. O-negative

ly, already rolling up his sleeve. "Tak

d. Not with jea

ld, hard un

iterally d

done that for me. No

e, but it was different

his eyes blazing wit

manded. "Don' t you dare leave this spo

arm was like

where I had no ch

blood, his life for

l. A forced spectator to m

bustled

d in beside Clara' s bed, his blood

spering in the hallway

isn't it? The one who' s

t a supporting act in

he mechanical voi

ing for Clara, hearing those casual, cruel wo

m

ldn' t be a supp

e villainess they

iller, the protagonis

ing a major rewrite.