Anna hadn't even realized how she managed to walk out of the building.
One moment she had been standing in that suffocating living room, drowning in lies and half-truths, and the next she was in her car, the door slammed shut, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles had turned white.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to calm her racing heart.
Breathe.
The silence felt unreal after all the shouting. No accusations. No guilt. No expectations.
Just her.
The years of pain, ignorance, and quiet neglect she had carried like invisible weights finally began to loosen their hold. Cutting ties with her parents hadn't felt dramatic in the moment—but now, sitting alone, the reality of it crashed over her in waves.
It was over.
