Chapter 102

In the days that followed, I made a conscious effort to regain my sense of agency. I threw myself into my work, channeling my frustration into every task I tackled. Aria and Lucas were by my side, offering unwavering support as I navigated the aftermath of the revelations.

Bruce was still in the hospital, and the authorities were waiting to question him. whenever he woke up.

If he woke up, of course. It was slowly occurring to me that Timothy had indeed. hit him with his car, causing spinal damage and a head fracture. Whether those would be crippling in the near future was a consequence I didn’t entirely reject.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, I found myself standing by the window, lost in thought.

Aria joined me at the window, offering a mug of hot chocolate. “You’ve been cooped up all day. Have you been out at all, besides for work?”

I shook my head, a mixture of emotions churning within me. “I’m trying. It’s just…

hard.”

On the couch, Lucas took a sip of his mug, whipped cream rubbing off on his lips. “Evie, you need to find yourself. You can’t hide forever.”

“I’m not hiding.” I said, my fingers tracing patterns on the edge of my cup. “I’ve just been busy.”

Lucas leaned forward, his gaze intense. “You shouldn’t even be at work right now. Do they not give out vacations at your firm?”

“Not like she’d take them,” Aria retorted. “You need to get out there, Evie.”

Lucas nodded in agreement. “Yeah! Get dolled up, go to a bar, and just have a good. time. Maybe even meet some strapping men on your way?”

I hesitated, the thought of stepping into the world again a daunting one. Even meeting another man out there, when Timothy had taken up so much of my focus, was slightly terrifying. More discretely, I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about shifting that focus.

But the resolve in their eyes mirrored the determination growing within me.

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Chapter 102

felt myself break under the pressure of

my mirror, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty swirling within me. My reflection stared back,

through my social media feed, the images of Timothy’s newfound hero status glaring back at me. It was a bitter pill to swallow–the realization that he was

at those images. The irritation I had felt before transformed

newfound sense of purpose, I headed to the bar that

was alive with laughter, music, and the energy of people seeking to

and I was

entered the bar, my heart raced. I felt a mixture of excitement and anxiety, the sensation of being in an unfamiliar

my own

his presence like a ghost from my past. My pulse quickened, and my fingers tightened around the

deep breath, my resolve firming. This was my chance–to show him, and myself, that I was not defined by

and ordered a drink to start the night out. Hopefully some liquor

night wore on, I felt the glances, the curiosity of

bust of my dress dipped low enough to expose a good amount of cleavage, and

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Chapter 102

one of those curious eyes. He was seated at a table across the room, surrounded by hockey friends and likely

had hoped, Timothy slid out of his seat and started approaching me. His expression was strained as

did you get here?” He shifted uncomfortably, his guilt evident in the

“Well, you kind of blended in. There’s already

eyebrow twitched and I felt a smirk emerge on my lips. Pushing his buttons had a surprising draw to it.

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