Scarlett
I hugged her back stiffly, then watched as she climbed into a waiting cab. The car zoomed off into the night, leaving me standing alone on the dimly lit street.
The moment the taillights disappeared, the tears came.
I bent down, hands on my knees, and cried harder. Big, ugly sobs that shook my whole body. This wasn’t the life I wanted. Not for me, and definitely not for my sister. The debt, the scams, the secrets, the double life — it was all too much. I cried because I felt like I was failing everyone, including myself.
When the tears finally slowed, I stayed crouched there on the sidewalk for a long moment, breathing shakily. The street felt too quiet, too exposed. I couldn’t go home like this, not with my mind still screaming and my chest this tight. I needed something stro
