CHAPTER 1
MIA“Congrats, Mia,” President Jacobbe said to me, shaking my hand onstage at my college graduation.
I grasped his hand in mine and smiled widely, feeling so damn proud of myself. This entire summer, I had been working my a*s off to finish school, and while I wished I had finished on time, I wouldn’t trade this for the world.
After walking offstage, I caught Michael sitting with Mom and my friends, and I blushed.
I had done it. I’d freaking done it. I’d made it through without Mason, without Dad, without an angry ex-wife after me.
I sat back down in my seat and watched the rest of the students receive their degrees. Since it was summer graduation, the ceremony was smaller than the spring commencement and finished much quicker. I picked out Dr. Xiao in the audience, sitting wi
