Chapter 7: Crossroads
256 Words
The morning after the message, Sasha woke with a heavy feeling in her chest.
She stared at the cracked ceiling of her room, the soft light creeping in through the curtains. The weight of last night’s words hovered over her like a shadow she couldn’t shake.
She thought about the stolen purse, the threats, the growing distance between her and the people who once cared.
Her phone buzzed again a call from Vanessa.
“Hey,” Vanessa said when Sasha answered.
“Hey,” Sasha replied, voice tight.
“I’ve been trying to reach you. After everything that happened... are you okay?”
Sasha hesitated. “I’m managing.”
Vanessa sighed. “You don’t have to do this alone, Sasha. The party scene? It’s not worth your peace.”
Sasha wanted to argue, to say she had it under control. But the truth felt like a stone in her throat.
“I’m thinking about the seminar,” she admitted finally.
“That’s great,” Vanessa encouraged. “It might be a good step.”
That afternoon, Sasha wandered through her old designs again, feeling a strange mix of nostalgia and hope. The clothes were more than sketches—they were a glimpse of who she could be beyond the glitter.
But old habits die hard.
That night, an invitation popped up on her phone a VIP event at a new club downtown.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
The choice felt like a fork in the road.
She closed her eyes.
And pressed “Going.”
- Writer
