Crystal sat in her car, engine idling, the faint hum filling the silence she couldn’t escape. Outside the bakery windows, Holly moved with purpose—laughing with Lee, steadying boxes with Max, her presence glowing in the warm light that spilled onto the snowy street. Crystal’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, nails digging into the leather.
She couldn’t believe it. Holly had told Jon. Told him everything. And worse—Jon believed her.
Since storming out of her apartment, Jon hadn’t answered a single call, hadn’t replied to a single text. Crystal’s phone screen was littered with unanswered messages, each one more desperate than the last. She had tried anger, pleading, even promises. Nothing worked. Jon had gone silent, and silence was something Crystal couldn’t stand.
Her eyes narrowed
