Sadie’s POV
Wednesday morning, I made a decision.
I was not going to hide. I was not going to flinch. I was not going to let Chloe Smith turn me into the scared girl who had run away six years ago.
I dressed carefully. Clean blouse, dark trousers, hair pulled back, minimal makeup. The armor of a woman who had her life under control even when she didn't.
I dropped Lily at school. I kissed her forehead. I told her I loved her. I watched her walk through the gates with Ethan Sterling, who grabbed her hand with the casual ownership of a best friend, and I felt something loosen in my chest.
Then I drove to the university, walked into the faculty lounge, poured myself a coffee, and stood in the middle of the room like a human being who had nothing to hide.
The room went quiet. Three people
