I didn’t pack my bags right away.
I sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room, staring at the floor like it might give me answers if I looked long enough. My hands were shaking, my chest tight, and every part of me felt hollowed out.
You’re dismissed for the day.
Dean’s words replayed over and over, colder each time. Are you okay? Not. We’ll figure this out. Just dismissal. Like I was a problem to be managed instead of a person standing in front of him, terrified and exposed.
I pressed my palms into my thighs and took a breath.
I couldn’t fall apart. Not here.
I moved slowly, folding my clothes with care, as if gentleness could soften what this felt like. Each item reminded me how temporary my place here really was. I had known it from the start, hadn’t I? I was never meant to sta
