Sheila woke to a gray morning, the kind where sunlight struggles to pierce the clouds and the city feels heavy with unsaid words. She poured herself coffee, hands trembling slightly despite her efforts to stay composed. Today, she had no reason to be at the arena—no press conferences, no games—but the pull to check the news was stronger than any rational thought.
Her phone buzzed on the counter, notifications stacked one over the other, but one headline cut through everything like a jagged shard:
“Atticus Finch Spotted with Ex-Girlfriend: Intimate Reunion Raises Eyebrows”
Her breath hitched. Sheila stared at the screen, vision blurring as the words etched themselves into her mind. The accompanying photos showed Atticus close to another woman—laughing, leaning in, the kind of easy, natur
