Astrella pressed her trembling hand against her cheek. The sting from the slap burned fiercely and had she not steadied herself against the table; she would have crumpled to the floor.
Her vision blurred as tears welled up, unchecked and relentless. The figures in front of her became nothing more than hazy shadows. All that remained was the icy, suffocating emptiness of the house as if she had plunged into a freezing abyss.
“Fine. Don’t worry, I’ll leave.”
The words hung in the air, heavy with finality. She would leave. Soon. It was inevitable. The moment had arrived, whether she was ready or not.
