shoulder again, this time with punishing force

gh. You're l

of his grip, my eyes still locked on the strange blond boy who c

backward, my heels scraping

hteous fury. "You heard the boy. He doesn't know you. Now get ou

mixture of fear and morbid curiosity. "It's alright, everyone," she said, her voi

crazy, dangerous intruder. The other mother from the lobby wa

who had come to investigate the commotion. "Probably trying to extort mone

ning the air. I felt dozens of pairs of

kly being consumed by despair. "Mark Peterson is my husband. We have a son n

e you see right here. His mother is Ashley Daniels, a well-respected

hope ignited in my chest. A

right. "Call Mark. He' ll clear this all

t. A flicker of something other than contemp

Mr. Peterson with this nonsense? His partner, Ms.

in its place. Mark wasn't just my husband. He was my only way out of th

rd the exit. I dug my heels in, my mind reeling. A d

by his desk, avoiding my eyes. He looked scared, but als

m directly, my voice loud enou

s. Albright for guidance.

n. "My name is Finn Peterson," he said,

is wasn't a mistake. It was something

ine. He looked at me with an expression of pure

is voice steady. "My dad, Mark, he te

misunderstanding at a school. This was a betrayal so deep and so monstrous I couldn't even begin to comprehend i

stumbled into t