Kimberly
I curled up on the edge of the bed, my knees drawn to my chest as the tears refused to stop. My chest heaved with sobs, and my throat ached from the cries I couldn’t suppress.
The dim light from the single bulb above cast long shadows on the cracked walls of my room, amplifying the emptiness around me.
This wasn’t a home. It was a prison—a gilded cage where every day felt like a punishment for reasons I couldn’t fathom.
I wiped my face with the back of my hand, though it did little to stem the flow of tears. The dampness on my pillow only added to the misery.
I used to think life was hard but manageable. Now, it was just suffocating. Kendrick’s words echoed in my mind, sharp and cruel.
“You’re nothing without me, Kimberly. You’d be lost. Remember that.”
Lost? I was alre
