Cecilia After the horrible scene with Liam, I slept very poorly. His harsh words and the rude way he treated me wouldn't leave my mind. I contemplated forgetting that crazy marriage proposal and going back to my simple life. I took advantage of the fact that my stepfather wouldn't have arrived home from work at that hour and called home. I missed my mom and my siblings. "You can't come back, Cecilia," Mom said, sounding despondent. "Jean would never take you back now that he found out you're working at a nightclub. He made that clear." I smiled without humor, realizing how dependent my mother was on the man she chose to live with. A completely toxic relationship, but it was futile to bring up that topic once again. The focus was different now. I needed to be close to my family to take

