Her pleas felt like a knife straight through Herman's chest.

Swallowing his bitterness, he walked over and set the bowl of bird's nest soup

gently on the nightstand.

You spend enough time in the dark, and eventually your eyes adjust—you start to

see everything.

Herman sat at the edge of the bed, his voice soft and gentle. "Honey, try to eat a

little, okay?"

Anastasia looked at him, and before she could even speak, tears poured down

her face.

She shook her head, struggling to keep it together. But when Herman's hand

reached for her forehead, she flinched, instinctively pulling back, her eyes wide

with fear. "Don't—don't touch me."

His hand froze in the air, his pupils contracting.

He swallowed, the pain sharp and jagged, like swallowing shards of glass.

Holding himself back, Herman lowered his hand and tried to make himself smaller,

afraid of scaring her even more.

"I'll just leave it here, alright? And the medicine too, it's right here. I'll be over on

the couch if you need anything. Just call me, okay?"

His voice was so quiet—almost pleading.

He still couldn't shake the memory of finding her by the roadside, the surge of

rage that made him want to tear apart whoever had hurt her.

Herman backed away and sat on the sofa. Anastasia leaned against the

headboard, slowly letting herself relax.

the bed, one on the couch, the night cool

herself thinking, If

long they stayed like that, just the two of them and the

finally broke the

All of it.

sent her over the edge. Joy and

but why now,

hard, refusing to break down in front

let him hurt

know when the tears on

stretch on forever.

word "divorce" sat on her tongue, impossible to say

swallow.

we..." Her voice broke as she covered her

shoulders.

pain, could guess the words she

to her—he

scared of being

tried to change

canceled Pattie's birthday party.

one for her

Emmie and Nancy

two are

at

who's

Your dad..."

drew a

air slicing

night, after

I got in a cab...

happened after

I

There were four men..."

calm, but under the covers, her fists were clenched

nails dug into

forced medicine down my throat. After that, I couldn't control my

Herman, I'm

felt completely drained, like

heart, her

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