Lily's pov
The night was colder than usual.
Even wrapped in my blanket inside the grand mansion, I couldn't feel warm. My thoughts were louder than the silence. Victoria’s words kept echoing in my head.
> “A one-night mistake…”
“A daughter of a p********e…”
“I could make them hate you. I could turn you to trash in their eyes.”
And my mother’s voice…
> “If it becomes too much, promise me you’ll leave.”
“Come back to me, okay?”
Sleep refused to come. I tossed and turned, eventually curling into myself, hugging my knees tightly.
I didn’t belong here. Not among the marble floors, the crystal chandeliers, or the people who never had to fight to survive. But leaving wasn’t an option–not when my mother’s hospital bills hung over my head like a noose.
I had no choice but to stay.
