The next morning, Lucy woke up before her alarm. The sun was already out, she reached for her phone on the nightstand, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a new notification.
Adrian: Good morning, Lucy. I’m still thinking about how beautiful you looked. Have a great day at school. I’ll see you tonight.
Lucy stared at the message for a long time. She wanted to believe it. She wanted to believe that the shopping trip hadn’t just been a way to buy her silence, but a genuine turning point. She sat up and stretched, feeling a spark of hope. Maybe Adrian was truly changing.
She spent a little extra time getting ready. She chose a pair of dark slacks and a soft lavender silk blouse from her new collection. As she brushed her hair, she noticed that the dark circles under her eyes had fad
