CHAPTER 39 —If I Had Died
Carolyn
I didn’t stop walking until the noise of the cafe faded behind me. The cheerful clatter of dishes, the low hum of conversations, and the normalcy of people living lives untouched by betrayal.
I turned into the corner of the building and stepped into the narrow alley behind it, the air felt colder there. Damp soil stuck beneath my boots, stained with old rainwater and forgotten trash. A dented metal dumpster leaned against the brick wall, its lid was half open. Somewhere nearby, a pipe dripped slowly, each drop echoing through the quiet space.
It looked like no one ever came back here, which made it the perfect place for my heart to fall apart. I leaned against the rough brick wall and slid slowly to the ground, my legs simply gave out.
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