Lireal walked back into the bedroom and collapsed on her mattress, staring up at the ceiling. How had her life become so complicated, so utterly f****d up? She couldn't help but wonder where she had gone wrong, how she had ended up in this mess.
Over the next few days, life seemed to move in slow motion for Lireal. Each passing moment was filled with an aching emptiness that she couldn't quite explain. One day, as Lireal sat at home with Aunt Nova, her phone buzzed with a notification. She glanced at the screen to see news of a press conference being held by Asher. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered what he would say.
Lireal turned on the TV and sat down on the edge of her aunt's bed and held her aunt's frail hand, squeezing it gently. "You don't have to watch this, Lireal," Aunt N
