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CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE Evening light spilled through the curtains in soft stripes, the TV humming low in the background while Clara’s younger sisters bickered over the remote. Clara hadn’t moved since she came home. Her bag slouched against the side of the couch, unopened. She sat beside it with her knees drawn up, her phone slack in her hand, the screen dark except for the occasional buzz that never carried the name she wanted to see. Mrs. White walked back into the sitting room, towel in hand. She had passed through earlier, thinking Clara just needed a moment to herself. But now, seeing her still in the exact same spot, her expression unchanged, made her pause. She lowered herself into the chair across from her daughter. “Clara… did something happen at school?” Clara’s answer was quick
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