LILY
By the third day, I stopped pretending it was accidental.
Mr. Grant didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t corner me or threaten me outright. He didn’t do anything I could point to and say ‘this is wrong’ without sounding ungrateful, dramatic, or paranoid.
He was simply… everywhere.
And everything I did was wrong.
I woke that morning with a tightness already lodged in my chest, the kind that didn’t ease even after a deep breath. The house felt different now—less like a workplace, more like a test I was constantly failing. Every step echoed too loudly. Every decision felt like a trap.
I dressed Alice carefully, choosing neutral colors, simple shoes. Nothing that could be criticized.
She noticed.
“You’re quiet,” she said, peering up at me while I fastened her jacket.
“I’m just sleep
