Sarah didn’t look surprised to see her.
That was the first thing Victoria noticed.
No widening of the eyes. No sharp intake of breath. Just a slow, resigned exhale, like someone who had been waiting for the knock all along.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Sarah said.
Victoria closed the door behind her carefully. Gently. As if any sudden movement might shatter what little was left between them.
“You lied to me,” Victoria replied.
Sarah’s mouth tightened. “I protected you.”
“No,” Victoria said, voice steady in a way that scared even her. “You decided for me.”
Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.
Sarah finally turned. She looked older than Victoria remembered—lines etched deep by guilt rather than time. Her hands trembled as she folded them together.
“He would’ve destroy
