Annabelle sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the pale pink wallpaper. Her bag was tossed haphazardly on the chair, her schoolbooks spilling out. She sighed. This day had been exhausting. First, the whispers and stares at school. Then Derek showing up with that signature mix of cold authority and barely restrained annoyance. And of course, his grandfather was brought into the equation, someone Annabelle wished to avoid entirely.
Her stomach rumbled, breaking the silence in the room. She realized she’d barely eaten since the rushed lunch with Flavia. She glanced at the clock—almost dinnertime.
The thought of eating alone at that impossibly long dining table was unappealing. She has stopped eating Daisy's food and the last time she tried cooking for Derek outside Daisy's meal, he didn
