She could keep her victory. For now.
But the game had only just begun.
I couldn’t stay there. Not with her. Not with him.
I excused myself from the party, forcing a smile for the few people who stopped to ask if I was alright. My legs felt like they were made of lead as I navigated through the crowded room, the laughter of the guests a distant, suffocating hum in my ears. The weight of Dulcie’s words hung like a shroud around me, crushing my chest with every step.
I couldn’t stay in that house, surrounded by lies and betrayal.
Once I was in the car, I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. The ride home was a blur, my thoughts spinning too fast to focus. I wanted to scream. I wanted to break everything, shatter the world Reagan had built around me. But instead, I held it all in. For my babies.
When I got home, the house felt foreign. Empty. The walls seemed to close in on me, and I knew, deep in my bones, I couldn’t escape. Not from him. Not from this.